Mate's bull roar: "All ...
hands ... wear ... ship!"

We took our chance, swung the door to, and dashed out. Dismayed for a
moment--the sudden change from light to utter darkness--we brought up,
grasping the life-lines in the waist, and swaying to meet the wild
lurches of the ship. As our eyes sobered to the murk we saw the lift
of the huge seas that thundered down the wind. No glint of moon or
star broke through the mass of driving cloud that blackened the sky to
windward; only when the gleam of a breaking crest spread out could we
mark the depth to which we drove, or the height when we topped a wall
of foaming water. The old barque was labouring heavily, reeling to it,
the decks awash to our knees. Only the lower tops'ls and a stays'l
were set; small canvas, but spread enough to keep her head at the right
angle as wave after wave swept under or all but over her. "Stations!"
we heard the Mate calling from his post at the lee fore braces. "Lay
along here! Port watch, forrard!"

We floundered through the swirl of water that brimmed the decks and
took our places. Aft, we could see the other watch standing by at the
main. Good! It would be a quick job, soon over! The Old Man was at
the weather gangway, conning the ship and waiting for a chance. Below
him, all hands stood at his orders--twenty-three lives were in his
keeping at the moment; but there was no thought of that--we knew our
Old Jock, we boasted of his sea cunning. At length the chance came; a
patch of lesser violence after a big sea had been met and surmounted.
The sure, steady eye marked the next heavy roller. There was time and
distance! ... "Helm up, there!" (Old Jock for a voice!)

Now her head paid off, and the order was given, 'Square mainyards!'
Someone wailed a hauling cry and the great yards swung round, tops'l
lifting to the quartering wind. As the wind drew aft she gathered
weight and scudded before the gale. Seas raced up and crashed their
bulk at us when, at the word, we strained together to drag the
foreyards from the backstays. Now she rolled the rails under--green,
solid seas to each staggering lift. At times it seemed as if we were
all swept overboard there was no hold to the feet! We stamped and
floundered to find a solid place to brace our feet and knees against;
trailed out on the ropes--all afloat--when she scooped the ocean up,
yet stood and hauled when the chance was ours. A back roll would come.
"Hold all! ... St