didn't hit blow! By an' by hi sees the mate come down ar. crawl aft to the Hole Man an' then the two of them starts starin' hup aloft, or wot 'ad been hup, an' I could see they woz hanxious.

"Then the men comes down, slow an' stiff like, an' watchin' their charnce, crawls along an' gathers hon the poop. "eavings' thinks hi, 'hall is lost, an' me to the be drowned all becos of that higorant skipper!' I woz nearly 'eart-broke I woz. Sez I, 'hif I gets hout of this hi'll give up goin' ter sea an' go in steamboats' I sez.

"Any'ow I goes scramblin' an' crawlin' aft an' up onto the poop, an' the sight uv their faces woz dreadful to behold boys - faces o' despair they woz. Then the Ole Man beckins to us, an' starts shoutin' above the gale 'Men - has you see - himpossible - cut away sails - if you don't cut somethin' - lost, must cut awa masts, or won't ever com hup!'

"The men 'ears 'im, an' looks more huneasy than hever; wen all of a sudden the mate roars 'Look!' an' 'e points forrard wiv all 'is might. We hall looked, an' strike me bloomin' lucky, but there woz the three monkeys gettin' hup aloft an' doin' it quick too; yes, Simon hup the "Fore", 'Enery hup the "Main", an' dear little Alf hup the "Mizzen"! We watches them fascintaed like, wonderin' wot the devil was goin' to 'appen, an' strike me hendways up, but them monkeys wot 'ad been hunwillin' spek-taters of the 'ole haffair, runs out on each yard an' bites clean through the earrings an' gear han' away goes each sail, one hafter the other, the ship comin' hup slowly hall the time!