Page:Last Cruise of the Spitfire.djvu/81

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the time the sun went down we were well out of sight of land. Here the breeze was even stronger; and at last several of the sailors prevailed upon the man at the wheel to send down word to the captain that sail must be shortened.

Lowell came on deck with the captain, and both had been drinking heavily.

"Shorten sail!" roared the captain. "Not a bit of it. If the mast goes, let her go."

Nevertheless, the wind soon freshened so much that several of the sails were reefed. I watched the performance from the bow.

"Here you, why don't you get to work?" cried Lowell savagely, as he came forward.

"I don't know what to do," I replied quietly.

"Don't know what to do? You're too lazy to do anything. Get aloft there!"

"Where?"

"There."