it, and to
be able, when called on, to make it of use. At first the old sailor,
who acted as the master of the yacht, and for that matter crew also, for
there was only a boy besides, seemed inclined to look on Ernest as a
green hand, and to turn up his nose at him. Ernest, however, did not
show that he perceived this, and went about very quietly, gaining all
the information he required.

"What is this rope called?" he asked of the old man while Ellis was
below, before he got under way.

"The main sheet, sir," was the answer.

Ernest made no other remark, but he examined where one end was secured;
he ran his eye along it from block to block, and calculated how much of
it was coiled away.

"These are the shrouds, I know; and this?" he asked.

"The backstay, sir," replied the old man.

He underwent a thorough examination.

"And this, I see, must be the topmast backstay; and this the forestay;
and that the topmast stay. Is it not so?" he asked.

Thus he went on, rapidly learning not only the names, but the uses of
all the ropes, and of everything on deck. By the time Ellis returned on
deck he was surprised to find that Ernest had already made himself at
home on board, and, as he said, was ready to lend a hand to pull and
haul if required.

"The tide will soon have made, and we shall be able to get to the
westward," said Ellis, looking about him. "We'll set the mainsail,
Hobbs, and be all ready for a start."

Preparations were accordingly made to set the mainsail. The throat was
hoisted nearly up; the peak was half hoisted; then the jib was bent on,
and hauled out to the bowsprit end.

"Come, Ernest, bowse away on the bobstay," cried Ellis.

Ernest was for a moment at fault, but when he saw his friend hauling
away on a rope forward, he took hold of it, and soon guessed its object.

"Let us tauten the bowsprit shrouds a bit," said Ellis. Ernest knew
what that meant. The jib was hoisted and bowsed well up, then the
backstays, and the topmast-stays were tautened. "Now, Hobbs, go to the
helm; we'll get the foresail up." Ernest helped Ellis to hoist away on
the fore-halliards; the old master overhauled the main sheet while Ellis
overhauled the lee-runner and tackle. The throat he settled a little,
that is, he let the inner end of the gaff drop a little, and then he and
Ernest gave all their strength to hoisting the peak of the mainsail well
up. The mainsail now stood like a board; the wind was light, s