f the
second reef-band of her main topsail upward, with every rope and piece
of rigging and gear, even to the reef-points of the topsail, rising and
falling upon the horizon line with the lift of the ship upon the swell.
And there, sure enough, at the point named by the boatswain, but tucked
away in the shadow of the weather clew of the topgallantsail, so that it
was not very easy to make him out, I saw what I certainly took to be the
figure of a man. And that the boatswain and I were not mistaken
presently became apparent, for, while I still looked, the fellow
leisurely swung himself on to the foot rope and began to lay in along
the yard.

"Quick!" I exclaimed, "we must attract his attention somehow, for he
has finished his job and is laying in off the yard. Off with your
jacket, Sails, and jump up on the thwart and wave it for all you are
worth!"

The sailmaker tore off his white canvas jacket, and, grasping it by one
arm, sprang up on the mast thwart and waved it furiously, while I kept
the telescope focused upon the slowly moving figure of the distant
seaman. But the man worked his way steadily in, swung himself off the
yard to the topmast rigging, and, with the merchant sailor's usual
deliberation, descended until he vanished below the horizon line,
seemingly without giving a single glance at the widespreading surface of
sea that stretched away for miles on either side of him.

"That will do, Sails," I said; "you may belay your flourishing, and get
down off the thwart. That shellback has gone down on deck without so
much as a glance in our direction."

"Laid down, have he, without stoppin' so much as to take a look round?"
snarled the boatswain savagely, dashing his clenched fist down on the
gunwale. "I'll be jiggered if I can understan' what's comin' to the
sailorman as sails these here seas. Fust there was that there Portugee,
as went past without stoppin' to pick us up, although they see'd us, and
must 'ave knowed that we was castaways; and now here's this here
bloomin' barque, manned by chaps as don't seem to think it worth while
to give a look round while they're aloft, to see whether there's any
poor sailormen washin' about in distress. But she ain't British, I'll
take my Bible oath o' that; the British shellback don't do that there
sort o' thing. Why, when I first went to sea we was never ordered aloft
but what the skipper used to say: `Take a good look round, men, afore
you comes down again.