American fiction -- 20th century; Short stories, American -- Periodicals
Skipper and mate descended to the saloon. Jerking the door of the
steward’s pantry open, the skipper shouted for the steward. A trapdoor
in the pantry deck opened slowly, and the steward, who had laid hidden
below, arose. His teeth chattered. For a moment he looked dazedly up
at the skipper; then, realizing that the storm was over, that the ship
still floated, and that it was long since he had served a meal, passed
out to the deck and made haste to the cook’s galley.
“We’ll set sail when the moon rises,” said the skipper to the mate.
Skipper, mate, steward, cook, and sailors buried their noses in
pannikins of steaming coffee. Ravenously devouring hash made of pork
scraps mixed with pulverized sea biscuit, they forgot the fury of the
recent storm, forgot that it was snowing--forgot Alf Jukes.
The ship rolled easily. Blocks whined. Sails flapped. A pleasant odour
of tobacco smoke arose in cabin, galley, and forecastle.
The clouds lifted. The snow ceased. A wan light illumined deck and
rigging.
“Loose them upper tops’ls!” bawled the mate.
Some of the sailors climbed aloft to cast the gaskets off. Others
gathered at the halyards, ready to hoist away. Snow, disturbed by the
feet of the climbers, fell on the heads and shoulders of those below.
Flapping their arms, shaking their fists, the men on deck swore at
the climbers, who, envying them the comparative comfort of the deck,
replied with gibes and curses.
A man aloft called--
“All ready on the main!”
The mate said--
“Hoist away!”
The men lay back, straining on the stiff swollen rope. The sail refused
to move.
“W’ere’s Alf?” asked one of the sailors.
“Jukes!” called the mate, “Jukes!”
They looked aloft, seeking Jukes.
“’Ee ain’t aloft,” said one.
“He’s at the wheel,” said the mate, remembering. “One o’ you men
relieve Jukes.”
“I forgot ’im,” said one.
“Me, too,” another.
Alf Jukes came forward from the wheel. Snow was thick on his
sou’wester, and on his shoulders. Snow was frozen on his sleeves and
oilskin trousers. His hands, his lips, were blue.
“Lend a hand here, Jukes,” said the mate.
Jukes strode to the halyards and reached up. His great chest expanded
as he reached higher and higher.
“All together--_now!_” said the mate.
Jukes laid his weight upon the halyards. The sheaves rattled. The yard
began to rise.
“Bully boy!” said the mate. A sailor grunted, “Bully boy!”
Their feet tramping soundlessly in the deep snow, the men ran the
topsail to its masthead.
“All ready on the fore,” called a man from aloft.
“Go eat,” said the mate to Jukes, his accents crisp and clear in the
stillness.
Preceding the others, Jukes walked to the fore topsail halyards as if
he had not heard.
When sail was set there was neither coffee nor hash left. The cook’s
skilly pots and hash kids were washed, and hung on the taut wire above
his stove. Jukes munched sea biscuit, and took a drink of cold water.
“That fellow Jukes is a good man, Mister,” said the skipper to the mate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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