The order was given to loose the main-skysail, which is the fifth and highest sail from deck. It was a very small sail, and from the forecastle looked no bigger than a cambric pocket-handkerchief. But I have heard that some ships carry still smaller sails, above the skysail; called moon-sails, and skyscrapers1, and cloud-rakers. But I shall not believe in them till I see them; a skysail seems high enough in all conscience; and the idea of any thing higher than that, seems preposterous3. Besides, it looks almost like tempting4 heaven, to brush the very firmament5 so, and almost put the eyes of the stars out; when a flaw of wind, too, might very soon take the conceit7 out of these cloud-defying cloud-rakers.
Now, when the order was passed to loose the skysail, an old Dutch sailor came up to me, and said, "Buttons, my boy, it's high time you be doing something; and it's boy's business, Buttons, to loose de royals, and not old men's business, like me. Now, d'ye see dat leelle fellow way up dare? dare, just behind dem stars dare: well, tumble up, now, Buttons, I zay, and looze him; way you go, Buttons."
All the rest joining in, and seeming unanimous in the opinion, that it was high time for me to be stirring myself, and doing boy's business, as they called it, I made no more ado, but jumped into the rigging. Up I went, not daring to look down, but keeping my eyes glued, as it were, to the shrouds8, as I ascended9.
It was a long road up those stairs, and I began to pant and breathe hard, before I was half way. But I kept at it till I got to the Jacob's Ladder; and they may well call it so, for it took me almost into the clouds; and at last, to my own amazement10, I found myself hanging on the skysail-yard, holding on might and main to the mast; and curling my feet round the rigging, as if they were another pair of hands.
For a few moments I stood awe-stricken and mute. I could not see far out upon the ocean, owing to the darkness of the night; and from my lofty perch11, the sea looked like a great, black gulf12, hemmed13 in, all round, by beetling14 black cliffs. I seemed all alone; treading the midnight clouds; and every second, expected to find myself falling—falling—falling, as I have felt when the nightmare has been on me.
I could but just perceive the ship below me, like a long narrow plank15 in the water; and it did not seem to belong at all to the yard, over which I was hanging. A gull16, or some sort of sea-fowl, was flying round the truck over my head, within a few yards of my face; and it almost frightened me to hear it; it seemed so much like a spirit, at such a lofty and solitary17 height.
Though there was a pretty smooth sea, and little wind; yet, at this extreme elevation18, the ship's motion was very great; so that when the ship rolled one way, I felt something as a fly must feel, walking the ceiling; and when it rolled the other way, I felt as if I was hanging along a slanting19 pine-tree.
But presently I heard a distant, hoarse20 noise from below; and though I could not make out any thing intelligible21, I knew it was the mate hurrying me. So in a nervous, trembling desperation, I went to casting off the gaskets, or lines tying up the sail; and when all was ready, sung out as I had been told, to "hoist22 away!" And hoist they did, and me too along with the yard and sail; for I had no time to get off, they were so unexpectedly quick about it. It seemed like magic; there I was, going up higher and higher; the yard rising under me, as if it were alive, and no soul in sight. Without knowing it at the time, I was in a good deal of danger, but it was so dark that I could not see well enough to feel afraid—at least on that account; though I felt frightened enough in a promiscuous23 way. I only held on hard, and made good the saying of old sailors, that the last person to fall overboard from the rigging is a landsman, because he grips the ropes so fiercely; whereas old tars6 are less careful, and sometimes pay the penalty.
After this feat24, I got down rapidly on deck, and received something like a compliment from Max the Dutchman.
This man was perhaps the best natured man among the crew; at any rate, he treated me better than the rest did; and for that reason he deserves some mention.
Max was an old bachelor of a sailor, very precise about his wardrobe, and prided himself greatly upon his seamanship, and entertained some straight-laced, old-fashioned notions about the duties of boys at sea. His hair, whiskers, and cheeks were of a fiery25 red; and as he wore a red shirt, he was altogether the most combustible26 looking man I ever saw.
Nor did his appearance belie2 him; for his temper was very inflammable; and at a word, he would explode in a shower of hard words and imprecations. It was Max that several times set on foot those conspiracies27 against Jackson, which I have spoken of before; but he ended by paying him a grumbling28 homage29, full of resentful reservations.
Max sometimes manifested some little interest in my welfare; and often discoursed30 concerning the sorry figure I would cut in my tatters when we got to Liverpool, and the discredit31 it would bring on the American Merchant Service; for like all European seamen32 in American ships, Max prided himself not a little upon his naturalization as a Yankee, and if he could, would have been very glad to have passed himself off for a born native.
But notwithstanding his grief at the prospect33 of my reflecting discredit upon his adopted country, he never offered to better my wardrobe, by loaning me any thing from his own well-stored chest. Like many other well-wishers, he contented34 him with sympathy. Max also betrayed some anxiety to know whether I knew how to dance; lest, when the ship's company went ashore35, I should disgrace them by exposing my awkwardness in some of the sailor saloons. But I relieved his anxiety on that head.
He was a great scold, and fault-finder, and often took me to task about my short-comings; but herein, he was not alone; for every one had a finger, or a thumb, and sometimes both hands, in my unfortunate pie.
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1
skyscrapers
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| n.摩天大楼 | |
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2
belie
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| v.掩饰，证明为假 | |
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preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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firmament
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| n.苍穹；最高层 | |
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tars
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| 焦油，沥青，柏油( tar的名词复数 ) | |
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conceit
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| n.自负，自高自大 | |
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8
shrouds
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| n.裹尸布( shroud的名词复数 )；寿衣；遮蔽物；覆盖物v.隐瞒( shroud的第三人称单数 )；保密 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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hemmed
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| 缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围 | |
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beetling
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| adj.突出的，悬垂的v.快速移动( beetle的现在分词 ) | |
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15
plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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gull
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| n.鸥；受骗的人；v.欺诈 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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slanting
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| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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hoist
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| n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起 | |
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promiscuous
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| adj.杂乱的，随便的 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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combustible
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| a. 易燃的,可燃的; n. 易燃物,可燃物 | |
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conspiracies
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| n.阴谋，密谋( conspiracy的名词复数 ) | |
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grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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discoursed
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| 演说（discourse的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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discredit
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| vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑 | |
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32
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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33
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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34
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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