dozing upon that hot afternoon and dreaming of his far-away down-east home. He had spent many years on the ocean, yet that spot of his boyhood was as dear to him as ever.
Captain Ponsberry himself was on deck, giving orders at the top of his voice, and everybody was scurrying here and there, for orders to shorten sail are always obeyed quicker than any others on shipboard, the reason for which is obvious.
"Lay aloft there now, men, and don't stop to think about it," cried the captain. "Come now, Hobson, show your heels up those ratlines, and, Oleson, don't move as though you had chunks of lead in your boots. See, Russell is ahead of all of you, and he's but a boy. Now then, all ready?"
"All ready, sir," came from various quarters.
And then came a rapid succession of orders, each followed by a creaking of halyard blocks, as the topsails came down, followed by the jib and flying-jib. The fore-course, main-course, and mizzen-course were left standing, but the men were kept on deck, to reef or take in entirely, should it become necessary to do so.
Oleson had followed Larry up to the foretop, with an extra sour look upon his swarthy face, for he
