But the captain had not done with his reasons yet. "Just consider, Marline," he continued, "we couldn't very well wear the ship now with this thundering wind and following sea, or try and heave her to--the only thing left for us to do if we don't scud. Indeed, I think we must get some more sail on her as it is; for those rollers are getting too heavy and gaining on us, and, if we don't keep ahead of them, why, they'll poop us, that's all!" "Do you think the masts will stand it, sir?" queried the first mate, glancing aloft, where the spars were bent like whips and the rigging as taut as fiddle-strings. "Stand it? Of course they will," replied the captain. "I'll back them to stand anything, if the stays only hold." "And I'll guarantee that they will not carry away," retorted Mr Marline, who had specially seen to the setting up of the rigging and was confident of the job being well done, being rather proud of his handiwork. "Well, then, we'll have the mainsail on her," said the captain, to put an end to the discussion. "You'd better go and rouse up the other watch, Mr Jackson; it will be a rough bit of work, I fancy." The second mate then went forwards, shouting, "All hands, ahoy!" and, shortly afterwards, the men were clustering in the shrouds, making their way as well as they could against the force of the wind, up the ratlines to the main-yard, the whole watch being employed on the job so as to get it done quickly. As they lay out along the foot-rope they were almost blown away; but, holding on "by the skin of their teeth," they managed to cast-off the gaskets, when, the clew-lines and bunt-lines being let fly, the huge sail at once bellied out in puckered folds, banging about as if it would soon thump the mast out of the ship. "Now, tumble down smart, men!" cried the captain. "Look alive and bring the sheets to the capstan." Then, in a few more minutes, foot by foot, the clew-garnet blocks rattling the while like a lot of tin kettles, the ends of the mainsail were hove in nearer the deck, when it became fairly distended before the powerful breeze, which, catching it now full, seemed to make the _Josephine_ leap out of the water as if she were going to fly--although, the next instant, she dived down with a heavy plunge forwards that sent a great green sea right over her bows on to the forecastle, whence it poured down like a cataract into the waist, flooding the main-deck and floating aft everything movable into the cabin. We had already two men at the wheel, a vessel running before the wind being always more unmanageable than when sailing close-hauled or on a bowline; but this additional sail-power made the ship yaw and break off so continuously that two more hands had to come and help the others in the steering. It was ticklish work; for, if she were once allowed to broach to, one of the pursuing waves would soon leap over the taffrail, and then it would be a case for us!