the yard before his neighbour, and thus exposing
himself and those immediately about him to a very considerable amount of
peril.

Mr Reid, who was also on the poop near the skipper, saw this, and
hailed the men with:

"Steady, there, on the mizzen topsail-yard; steady, men, and take things
quietly, or some of you will be meeting with a nasty accident."

The men's fear of an accident was, however, less than their dread of a
flogging, and the hustling went on, much, apparently to the amusement of
Captain Pigot, who smiled cynically as he silently watched the struggle.
The two captains of the to were in the most disadvantageous position of
all, as they, bent supposed to be the two smartest hands on the yard,
had laid out, one to each yard-arm to pass and haul out the earrings and
they would consequently, in the ordinary course of things be the last
men off the yard. This, however, meant a flogging for at least one of
them, which they were resolved to escape if possible. Instead,
therefore, of laying in along the foot-rope like the rest of the men,
they scrambled up on the yard, by the aid of the lifts, and standing
erect on the spar, started to run in along it toward the mast. They
managed very well until they reached the little struggling crowd about
the topmast rigging, when, to avoid them, the two men made a spring
simultaneously for the back-stays. How it happened can never be known,
but, somehow or other, both overleaped themselves missed the back-stays,
and came crashing down on the poop where they lay motionless upon the
white planks which in another moment were crimsoned with their blood.

Captain Pigot turned ghastly pale as this sudden and terrible
consequence of his tyrannical behaviour presented itself to him; but he
never moved a single step to help either of the injured men. The first
lieutenant, however, sprang forward and raised the head of one poor
fellow, whilst I, springing up the poop ladder, went to the assistance
of the other. The man to whom I went lay on his face, and, as I turned
him over and raised his head, I turned sick and faint at the ghastly
sight which met my horrified gaze. The features were battered out of
all recognition, the lower jaw was broken, and from what appeared to be
the crushed face the blood was spurting in a torrent which almost
instantly drenched through my small-clothes and wetted me to the skin.
Unable to endure the terrible spectacle, I turned my eyes in Mr Reid'