Of
course, I was not backward in giving the desired information.
In a few minutes, I had a string of the savages hold of the mast-rope,
forward, a luff-tackle being applied. As everything was ready aloft,
all we had to do was to pull, until, judging by the eye, I thought the
spar was high enough, when I ran up the rigging and clapped in the
fid. Having the top-mast out of the way, without touching any of its
rigging, I went down on the fore-yard, and loosened the sail. This
appeared so much like business, that the savages gave sundry
exclamations of delight; and, by the time I got on deck, they were all
ready to applaud me as a good fellow. Even Smudge was completely
mystified; and when I set the others at work at the jeer-fall to sway
up the fore-yard, he was as active as any of them. We soon had the
yard in its place, and I went aloft to secure it, touching the braces
first so as to fill the sail.
The reader may rest assured I did not hurry myself, now I had things
in so fair a way. I could perceive that my power and importance
increased with every foot we went from the land; and the ship steering
herself under such canvass, the wheel being a trifle up, there was no
occasion for extraordinary exertion on my part. I determined now to
stay aloft as long as possible.
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