west'ard till you're in onto the Bank."

"S'uth'ard and west'ard--that's the boy. Man, but I'll live to see you
going to the Custom House and taking out your master's papers yet."

"And can I join the Master Mariners then?"

"That's what you can, and walk down Main Street with a swing to your
shoulders, too. And now you're up on the Bank and twenty-five fathom
of water and the right bottom--and you're a hand-liner, say, after
cod--what then?"

"Let go her chain and begin fishing."

"And would you give her a short or a long string of cable?"

"M-m--I'm not sure. A long string you'd hang on better, but a short
scope and you could get out faster in case you were dragging and going
onto the shoals. What would you do, Captain Clancy? You never told me
that, did you?"

"Well, it would depend, too, though handliners generally calculate on
hanging on, blow how it will. But never mind that; suppose your
anchor dragged or parted and into the shoal water you went in a gale,
an easterly, say--and the bank right under your lee--wind sixty or
seventy or eighty mile an hour--what would you do?"

"Anchor not hold? M-m--Then I'd--give her the second one."

"And if that dragged, too--or parted?"

"Both of 'em? M-m"--Johnnie was taking deep breaths now--"why, then
I'd have to put sail to her----"

"What sail?"

"Why, jib, jumbo, fore and main."

"And the wind blowing eighty mile an hour?"

"Why, yes, if she'd stand it."

"My, but she'd have to be an able vessel that--all four lowers and the
wind blowing eighty mile an hour. Man, but you're a dog! Suppose she
couldn't stand it?"

"Then I'd reef the mains'l."

"And if that was too much--what then?"

"Reef it again."

"And too much yet?"

"Balance-reef it--maybe take it in altogether--and the jib with it,
and get out the riding-sail."

"And would you do nothing to the fores'l?"

"M-m--I dunno--with some vessels maybe I'd reef that, too--maybe take
it in altogether."

"My, but you're cert'nly a dog. And what then?"

"Why, then I'd try to work her out."

"And would you be doing anything with the lead?"

"Oh, we'd be keeping the lead going all the time, for banging her
across and back like that you wouldn't know where you were just."

"And would you come clear, d'y' think?"

"Yes, sir--if the gear held and with an able vessel we ought to."

"If the gear held--that's it. Be sure, Johnnie-boy, you see that the
gear is all right before ever you leave port. An