ould bawl them,
the creaking of the cordage and rattling of the clew-garnet blocks
forming a fitting accompaniment to his twangy voice; while the plaintive
`Yo--ho--hoy--e! Yo--ho--hai--e!' of the men, as they hauled upon the
clewlines and leech and buntlines of the heavy main course, chimed in
musically with the wash of the waves as they broke over the bows,
dashing high over the yard-arms in a cataract of spray, and wetting to
the skin those out on the fo'c's'le furling the jib--these having the
benefit also of a second bath below the surface as well, when the ship
dived under as they got on to the footrope of the jib-boom, plunging
them into the water up to their middles and more.

"I guess, we're going to hev it rougher yet," said the captain
presently, when the second-mate came aft, after seeing all snug forward,
to ask whether he might now dismiss the port watch to their long delayed
dinner. "Thet thaar squall wer a buster, but thaar's worse comin', to
my reck'nin'. We'd best take another reef in them topsails an' hev one
in the foresail, too."

"Verra goot, sir!" replied Jan Steenbock, the mate, respectfully, as he
made his way forward again to where the men were waiting, anxious to go
below to their lobscouse--cold, alas! by now. "Verra goot!"

Captain Snaggs smiled contemptuously after him, and then broke into a
laugh, which was shared in by the first-mate, an American like himself,
but one of a stouter and coarser stamp and build, albeit he boasted of a
more romantic sort of name--Jefferson Flinders, to wit. This worthy now
sniggering in sympathy, as he came up the after companion and took his
place by the captain's side, having been roused out before his time by
the commotion on deck.

"A rum coon thet, sir," said he to the captain, in response to his
laugh. "He'll be the death of me some day, I reckon, with thet durned
`verra goot!' of his'n, you bet, sir!"

"We've a rum lot o' hands altogither aboard, Flinders--chaps ez thinks
they hev only come to sea to eat an' enj'y themselves, an' don't want to
work fur thaar grub; but, I guess I'll haze' 'em, Flinders, I'll haze'
'em!" snapped out Captain Snaggs, in reply, his wiry billy-goat beard
bristling again as he yelled out in a louder tone,--"Forrud thaar!
Mister Steenbock; what air ye about, man--didn't I tell ye I want
another reef taken in them topsails? Away aloft with ye agen; lay out
thaar, an' look spry about it!"

The halliards were theref