"'Vast there, you bloody old owl! You're always
hanging out blue lights! You're frightened by the ducking you got in
the scuppers, and can't take a joke! What's the use in being always on
the look-out for Davy Jones?" "Stand by!" says another, "and we'll get
an afternoon watch below, by this scrape;" but in this they were
disappointed, for at two bells, all hands were called and set to work,
getting lashings upon everything on deck; and the captain talked of
sending down the long top-gallant masts; but, as the sea went down
toward night, and the wind hauled abeam we left them standing, and set
the studding-sails.
The next day, all hands were turned-to upon unbending the old sails,
and getting up the new ones; for a ship, unlike people on shore,
puts on her best suit in bad weather. The old sails were sent down,
and three new topsails, and new fore and main courses, jib, and
fore-topmast staysail, which were made on the coast, and never had
been used, were bent, with a complete set of new earings, robands
and reef-points; and reef-tackles were rove to the courses, and
spilling-lines to the top-sails.
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