ard were too smart for those
aft, and had handed their topsail and were hoisting away at the
halliards again before those reefing the main-topsail were all in from
their yard. The last man, indeed, was just stepping from the yard into
the rigging again, when an accident happened that nearly cost him his
life, although fortunately he escaped with only a fall and a fright.

In order to render the work of reefing easier for the hands, the captain
had directed the men at the wheel by a quick motion which they
understood to "luff her up" a bit, so as to flatten the sails; and now,
on the folds of the main-topsail ballooning out before being hoisted
again as it caught the wind, the sail flapped back and jerked the
unfortunate fellow off the yard, his hands clutching vainly at the empty
air.

We could see it all from the poop, although the night was darkish,
because the whiteness of the sails made everything stand out in relief
against their snowy background; and, as he fell, with a shriek that
seemed to go through my heart, I held my breath in agonised suspense,
expecting the next moment to hear the dull thud of his mangled body on
the deck below.

But, in place of this, a second later, a wild hurrah burst from the men
at the halliards and from those coming down the rigging, who had
remained spellbound, their descending footsteps arrested in the ratlines
in awful expectancy and horror. It was a cheer of relief on their
anxious fears being dispelled.

I never heard such a hearty shout in my life before, coming, as it did,
as if all the men had but one throat!

I seem to hear it now.

"Hurrah!"

It rang through the ship; and we on the poop soon saw the reason for the
triumphant cry and shared the common feeling of joy.

The main-sail had jibed and then bellied out again in the same way as
the topsail above it had done; and when the man fell, a kind Providence
watching over him caused it to catch him in its folds, and then gently
drop him into the long-boat above the deck-house below, right in the
midst of the captain's pigs there stowed--thus breaking his fall, so
that he absolutely escaped unhurt, with the exception of a slight
shaking and of course a biggish fright at falling.

"Who is the man?" sang out Captain Gillespie as soon as some of the
hands had clambered up on top of the deck-house and released their
comrade from the companionship of the pigs, who were grunting and
squealing at his unexpected descent i