Chapter 26 - Page 2

quick leave of the spars; the flying-jib was swept into the air,
rolled together for a few minutes, and tossed about in the
squalls like a foot-ball. But the wind played no such pranks with
the more prudently managed canvas of the Neversink, though before
many hours it was stirring times with us.

About midnight, when the starboard watch, to which, I belonged,
was below, the boatswain's whistle was heard, followed by the
shrill cry of "_All hands take in sail_! jump, men, and save ship!"

Springing from our hammocks, we found the frigate leaning over to
it so steeply, that it was with difficulty we could climb the
ladders leading to the upper deck.

Here the scene was awful. The vessel seemed to be sailing on her
side. The main-deck guns had several days previous been run in
and housed, and the port-holes closed, but the lee carronades on
the quarter-deck and forecastle were plunging through the sea,
which undulated over them in milk-white billows of foam. With
every lurch to leeward the yard-arm-ends seemed to dip in the
sea, while forward the spray dashed over the bows in cataracts,
and drenched the men who were on the fore-yard. By this time the
deck was alive with the whole strength of the ship's company,
five hundred men, officers and all, mostly clinging to the
weather bulwarks. The occasional phosphorescence of the yeasting
sea cast a glare upon their uplifted faces, as a night fire in a
populous city lights up the panic-stricken crowd.

In a sudden gale, or when a large quantity of sail is suddenly to
be furled, it is the custom for the First Lieutenant to take the
trumpet from whoever happens then to be officer of the deck. But
Mad Jack had the trumpet that watch; nor did the First Lieutenant
now seek to wrest it from his hands. Every eye was upon him, as
if we had chosen him from among us all, to decide this battle
with the elements, by single combat with the spirit of the Cape;
for Mad Jack was the saving genius of the ship, and so proved
himself that night. I owe this right hand, that is this moment
flying over my sheet, and all my present being to Mad Jack. The
ship's bows were now butting, battering, ramming, and thundering
over and upon the head seas, and with a horrible wallowing sound
our whole hull was rolling in the trough of the foam. The gale
came athwart the deck, and every sail seemed bursting with its
wild breath.

All the quarter-masters, and several of the forecastle-men, were
swarming round the double-wheel on the quarter-deck. Some jumping
up and down, with their hands upon the spokes; for the whole helm
and galvanised keel were fiercely feverish, with the life
imparted to them by the tempest.

"Hard _up_ the helm!"