Ther's a reg'lar screamer blowin' up, an' no mistake.
We'll be took aback, if we don't get in our rags in time. Look smart;
an' let's show the skipper how spry we ken be when we chooses!"

The captain, or `skipper', soon supplemented this advice by another of
his roaring commands, yelled out at a pitch of voice that defied alike
the shriek of the wind, and the noise of the sea, and the slatting of
the huge topsails as they bellied out into balloons one moment and then
flapped back again with a bang against the swaying masts, that quivered
again and again with the shock, as if the next blow would knock them out
of the ship.

"Forrud there! Away aloft, ye lazy skunks!" cried Captain Snaggs, when
he saw the watch at last turn out, gripping the brass poop rail in front
of him with both hands, so as to steady himself and prevent his taking a
header into the waist below, as he seemed to be on the point of doing
every minute, in his excitement. "Lay out, thaar, on the yards, ye
skulking lubbers! Lay out, thaar, d'ye hear? Thaar's no time to lose!
Sharp's the word an' quick the motion!"

The starboard watch, which had been waiting for the others, at once
rounded the weather braces, so as to take the wind out of the sails as
the men raced aloft, each anxious now to be first out on the yard; and,
the reef tackle being hauled out, the spilling lines were clutched hold
of, and the heavy folds of the canvas gathered up, the men at the
yard-arms seeing to the earring being clear and ready for passing, with
the hands facing to leeward, so as to lighten the sail and assist the
weather earring being hauled out, as they held the reef-line, and again
facing to windward and lightening the sail there in the same fashion, so
as to haul out the lee-earring before the signal was given by those out
at the end of the yard-arms to "toggle away!"

It was risky work, especially as the ship was rather shorthanded, to
attempt reefing the three topsails all at once, but the job was at last
accomplished to the captain's apparent satisfaction, for he sang out for
them to come down from aloft; when, the topsail halliards being brought
to the capstan, the yards were bowsed again, the slack of the ropes
coiled down, and everything made comfortable.

Captain Snaggs, however, had not done with them yet.

"Clew up an' furl the mainsail!"

"Man the jib down-haul!"

"Brail up the spanker!"

He shouted out these several orders as quickly as he c