ee, hunchback! Couldst not say
there were not men enough? Below with ye, and bring up the schooner's
people. Have sail on this vessel before that anchor takes hold, or I'll
flay thy hump!"

Cursing venomously, the deformed little demon sprang into the forecastle
and drove up Peters and his four men with kicks and blows. They, too,
were bewildered by the tremendous uproar of sea and wind, and went like
sheep to the fore and main masts at Caliban's bidding.

"Ready for the anchor--lower away!" roared Hanglip in the boat, where
already was piled coil on coil a great hemp hawser.

"Handsomely, ye dogs, handsomely!" shrieked Spotted Dog in turn. The
anchor sank into the boat to the screeching of tackles and the groaning
of boat-timbers, and was carried out astern.

"Carry the end aft!" Dolores commanded; the hawser was taken along and
the end passed around the quarter-deck capstan. "Up with those sails!"
cried the girl now, and Caliban's gang sweated at the halyards, while
slackened sheets permitted the booms to swing and present the luffs to
the screaming gale, bearing no resistance. While the boat pulled away
into the darkness astern, carrying the anchor to the full scope of the
cable, Dolores kept her eyes ever aloft, and over the sea, and upon
every detail of the work. Her eyes fell upon Peters, standing in sullen
mood at the belaying-pin which held a turn of the main-throat halyards.
And as the croaking cry of Caliban ordered "Belay!" she called Peters to
her.

"Thou'rt sailing-master, hey?"

"I was."

"Art still, if thy heart is as stubborn as thy face!" cried Dolores,
laughing at his scowl. "Canst sail thy ship now?"

"I can sail any ship that floats, but neither I nor your sharks can sail
this schooner now," he replied surlily. "Your false marks did their work
well."

"Then thou'd rather pull a rope than hold a wheel, hey? 'Tis but a
wooden sailor, after all. I hoped such a ship would boast a seaman as
master. I'll show thee seamanship, sheep-heart!"

Out of the darkness astern came a roar:

"Anchor's down! Heave away!"

And from the darkness aloft Stumpy bawled:

"There she flares! Mother o' me!" The prayer, curse, whatever the last
words might be, were called forth by a paralyzing flash of lightning
that shone over the raging sea like a gigantic calcium-light. The
schooner's deck resounded with superstitious howls, which rose to awed
cries from the weakest as from trucks and gaff-ends glowed and fl