She
flung the foam from her bows; the spray breaking aft as far as the
gangway. She was going at a prodigious rate. Still, everything held.
Preventer braces were reeved and hauled taught; tackles got upon the
backstays; and each thing done to keep all snug and strong. The
captain walked the deck at a rapid stride, looked aloft at the
sails, and then to windward; the mate stood in the gangway, rubbing
his hands, and talking aloud to the ship- "Hurrah, old bucket! the
Boston girls have got hold of the tow-rope!" and the like; and we were
on the forecastle, looking to see how the spars stood it, and guessing
the rate at which she was going,- when the captain called out- "Mr.
Brown, get up the topmast studding-sail! What she can't carry she
may drag!" The mate looked a moment; but he would let no one be before
him in daring. He sprang forward- "Hurrah, men! rig out the topmast
studdingsail boom! Lay aloft, and I'll send the rigging up to you!"-
We sprang aloft into the top; lowered a girt-line down, by which we
hauled up the rigging; rove the tacks and halyards; ran out the boom
and lashed it fast, and sent down the lower halyards, as a
preventer.
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