The young fellow in command knows what he is doing. We ought to have
been taking the same care. See! he is taking down his topsail again.
Set an officer to watch the yacht, and if they signal, go about at
once."
The soundings continued for a short time at six fathoms, when
suddenly the man at the lead called out sharply,--
"Three fathoms!"
Cyril ran to the flagstaff, and as the next cry came--"Two
fathoms!"--hauled down the flag and stood waving his cap, while the
boatswain, who had gone to the tiller, at once pushed it over to
starboard, and brought the yacht up into the wind. Cyril heard orders
shouted on board the flagship, and saw her stern sweeping round. A
moment later her sails were aback, but the men, who already clustered
round the guns, were not quick enough in hauling the yards across,
and, to his dismay, he saw the main topmast bend, and then go over
the side with a crash. All was confusion on board, and for a time it
seemed as if the other topmast would also go.
"Run her alongside within hailing distance," Cyril said to the
boatswain. "They will want to question us."
As they came alongside the flagship the Duke himself leant over the
side.
"What water had you when you came about, sir?"
"We went suddenly from six fathoms to three, your Grace," Cyril
shouted, "and a moment after we found but two."
"Very well, sir," the Duke called back. "In that case you have
certainly saved our ship. I thought perhaps that you had been
over-hasty, and had thus cost us our topmast, but I see it was not
so, and thank you.
Pages:
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431