Immediately after reveille next morning, the boys were surprised to
hear the boatswain’s call followed by the command to “stand by to set
sail.” The boatswain’s mates “got busy” very quickly and could be
seen sending their boys to different parts of the deck,--some to the
bowsprit to remove the jib stops, some to the fore boom to release
the foresail, and the others to the parts of the ship to which they
belonged.
After the fore and main sails had been set, all hands were ordered
forward to the windlass and began hauling up the anchor. It was hot
work, and there was not room enough for all the boys to get on to the
job at the same time; but Dick managed to get on among the first, while
Tom and Chippie were in the outside ring who stood ready to jump in and
“spell” their comrades. Then,--after the anchor had been broken from
the ground,--came the manning of the halyards,--first the main, then
the fore, and then the jumbo and the jib halyards.
As the head sails ran up, they were filled by a light northwest breeze
which somewhat tempered the heat. The night had been very warm, and
the boys were all glad to get up on deck and very much interested in
the prospect of sailing; the reef-points beat a cheerful tattoo on the
canvas, as it quietly slatted back and forth, while the ship’s bow
headed westward to pass through the gut into the outer harbor. Once
outside, she settled down to a long leg on the port tack, and then the
anchor was hoisted up and lifted over the rail.
While this was going on, Jack Perkins was active in seeing that
the boatswain’s orders were carried out. The mate stood on the
quarter-deck giving his commands, while the boatswain repeated them
forward with the musical accompaniment of his call. Jack not only had
his own division to look after, but it was his business also to see
that the other B. M.’s were on their jobs, and that every scout of
every division was doing his allotted work.
This was the first time that the crew had performed this particular
manœuvre, and it was not surprising that there was a hitch here and
there. Some small boys would stand looking on while the others were
hauling on the halyards, but on inquiry it was found that they were
under the impression that only the “huskies” were considered worthy
of this work. This idea was quickly dispelled, however; and, before
the mainsail was finally set, every available boy was on the halyards,
each one contributing his share of the pull, however small it might be.
Other boys who hesitated were mostly green hands who had not caught the
spirit of acting together, while one of the little fellows was found
in the jib-net admiring the view, and another curled up on the day bunk
reading a book. Altogether it was a good opportunity for Mr. Miller to
distinguish the wool-gatherers from the workers, but he felt sure that
it was only practice that was needed to get this crew pulling together
in true and shipshape style.
By this time it was 7:45, and there was just time to scrub decks and
then wash up before breakfast. It was a pleasant thing to hear the
trill of the boatswain’s call as the mess cooks scrambled down to set
the tables; and better still to sit down to breakfast after the early
morning’s work.
The breeze was not strong but held out steadily while the routine work
was going on, and also through “quarters” and “mast.” At “quarters” the
“lucky bag” was brought out for the first time and was found to contain
a jumper, a couple of towels, and a lanyard and knife. Mr. Miller
explained the principle of the “lucky bag” as follows:
“The master-at-arms will pick up everything that he finds lying about
the decks and put it in the ‘lucky bag’; they may remain in the bag at
the discretion of the sea scout master until he decides to open it at
‘quarters.’ At this time articles lost may be claimed by those who have
missed them, but a penalty may be imposed upon the owner before the
lost article is returned to him. As this is the first time the ‘lucky
bag’ has been opened on this cruise, no penalties will be exacted on
the return of these articles. The Sea Scouts are warned that in the
future they will be expected to be shipshape in their habits, and that
articles left carelessly lying about will not be returned to their
owners until due penalty in the shape of extra duty has been paid.
“But there is another matter to which I must call your attention at
the present time. It is one thing to approve of discipline in theory
and quite another to submit to it in practice. Most of you boys are
familiar with stories of good seamanship, but very few of you have
ever experienced before this cruise the training which made such
seamanship possible. Almost everybody is naturally lazy, and doing
things on time is irksome and disagreeable to lazy people. ‘Oh, I
guess to-morrow’ll do as well’, or ‘All right, I’ll be there in a few
minutes’--these are the common expressions of lazy lubbers who have not
yet learnt to like the promptness and alertness which good seamanship
requires. I warn you boys of this now, at the beginning of the cruise,
because I know the temptation comes to almost every one, and you might
as well give up the idea of being Sea Scouts unless you are morally
strong enough to clear all such lazy stuff out of the way. Orders must
be carried out on the run and on the jump, and _there is no room for a
grouch on board of this ship_.
“Since this cruise started, I have seen some boys hanging back and
doing their work in a poor-spirited way; I did not always blame them,
because I knew they were acting from ignorance and did not yet know
the absolute necessity on board ship of a prompt and cheerful spirit.
But, after this, I shall expect all hands to put their best foot
foremost and to show that they have in them the making of good sailors
and Sea Scouts.
“Those who are not able to live up to this standard will loaf their way
along until they drop out,--maybe at the next port we make. They will
not come on another cruise and they will have missed all the training
as well as all the fun and enjoyment that comes from putting your heart
into your work and doing what you have to do with all your might.”
While Mr. Miller was talking, you could see some of the boys here
and there straighten up in sympathy with his words. Tom and Chippie,
especially, looked at one another significantly and hoped that Dick was
taking it all in as eagerly as they were. But they were disappointed,
for the grouchy look on Dick’s face had not cleared away.
The instruction that morning was “Knots and Splices”, “Boxing the
Compass”, “Ship’s Rigs”, and “Chart-work with the Captain.” Tom liked
the chart-work best and found no difficulty in remembering the symbols
for lights, buoys, shoals, etc., and felt as if he were on a cruise
within a cruise, exploring the waters of some foreign land. Chippie
felt most at home with his knots and splices, because it was less like
studying than any of the other subjects; and both boys were surprised
to find how much they had to learn about ship’s rigs. Dick, on the
other hand, did not seem to take much interest in anything, and if
there had been any motion of the sea he would have been suspected of
being seasick.
About ten o’clock the breeze died down while they were still a good
distance from Marblehead. It was hot, but as there was no swell on the
water, everybody felt comfortable in spite of the heat. The boys had
begun to feel at home in their new surroundings, and were too much
absorbed in the interest of their work, as each division passed from
one instructor to the next, to mind the discomfort of the heat.
As there was no particular hurry in getting to Marblehead, which was
their destination for that day, the Captain decided not to use the
launch to tow the ship unless it should become necessary toward the
afternoon. So the _Bright Wing_ lay with her sails flapping quite
lazily, and with the jaws of the main gaff creaking and snarling, as it
swayed from side to side, until eleven o’clock; when the bugle sounded
“retreat from drill”, and there was nothing more but play and good fun
until dinner time.
After dinner a change in the weather set in, in the form of gathering
clouds toward the northwest, which at first were scarcely noticeable;
while the ship’s band--in the form of a good Victrola--played some
lively airs, in which the boys often joined in chorus. By about three
o’clock the wind was blowing in light but sudden gusts and the clouds
in the northwest had gathered thickly, with streamers extending
overhead, indicative of more wind.
Jack climbed up into the crosstrees to take a good look at the sky
and reported to the Captain, when he came down, that there was smoke
in the direction of Marblehead, but he could not make out whether it
was at Marblehead itself or beyond. Pretty soon the smoke became quite
perceptible on deck as the wind increased to a fresh breeze.
The Captain sent word to the Chairman; and, as soon as he came on deck,
he noticed the cloud of smoke which was now quite conspicuous in the
northwestern sky, and stretching like a long streamer over the sea.
“There may be something for us to do when we get to Marblehead,” said
he to Mr. Miller, who was standing by. “It must be a big fire to cause
so much smoke as that.”
For the next half-hour the _Bright Wing_ bounded along in a spanking
breeze, and every boy on board felt the new exhilaration and life of
the wind and motion. It did not take them long to get into port, and
they dropped anchor in Marblehead harbor at about a quarter of four.
The boys were all at their places for lowering the sails; but, once
lowered, they were ordered to make them only temporarily secure with
the stops, without careful furling, in view of the Chairman’s haste to
get ashore and on to the scene of the fire as quickly as possible. It
was decided to leave one of the four sections on board to finish the
furling and make all fast, and then to follow the rest of the company;
these got into the boats as soon as they could be lowered, and headed
for the nearest wharf.
Dick appeared to have got over his grouch during the day, and his
section was the first to leave the ship.