illings explained this to Jorrocks, while all the remaining
canvas was being stripped off the vessel, with the exception of the
fore-topmast staysail, which was still retained in order to assist in
forcing her head round when all was ready for trying the hazardous
experiment.

"You know what I want, Boatswain," he said, sending Jorrocks forwards to
watch for a favourable opening between the following waves and turn the
ship--"the moment you see our chance, give the word; and then, Heaven
help us to get round in time and not broach-to!"

"Aye, aye, sir, I knows what you want," answered Jorrocks, who then
proceeded to crawl as carefully towards the fore-chains, as the
carpenter had come aft--bending down beneath the protection of the
weather-bulwarks as he crept along the waist, and holding on by a stray
rope's-end here and there to preserve his balance--although he did this
as much to prevent exposing his body as leverage for the wind to force
the vessel over to leeward before the proper time, as to shield himself
from its boisterous buffeting.

Arrived at the point he had selected, Jorrocks drew himself up gingerly
into the fore-rigging, his hat blowing from off his head and his hair
streaming out before the wind the instant he abandoned the shelter of
the bulwarks. However, he had not long to remain in that exposed
position.

He had waited to stand up until he heard the blow of one of the heavy
billows as it careered before the gale, coming against the bows in due
rotation, and the instant he heard this he raised himself erect at once,
receiving part of the deluge that broke over the cathead in a fountain
of spray on his exposed head and hairy face, the impromptu shower bath
making him appear like a dripping merman fresh from the briny deep.

Jorrocks, however, did not mind the cold bath. He had much more serious
matter on hand to take notice of it, beyond giving himself a shake like
a retriever fresh from a dip.

Looking over the side to windward, as quickly as he dashed the water
from his eyes, he noticed that the following wave succeeding the one
which had just delivered its attack, was quite two cable lengths off--a
more than usually long interval between the waves as yet.

It seemed like an interposition of Providence in our favour, I thought,
noticing the lull from my station on the poop almost as soon as Jorrocks
perceived it in the bows, and I feared he would have missed the
opportunity.

But the bo