I was on the fore upper tops'l yard, with Frenchy at the lee yardarm, and Scouse in between me and the mast. We were just passing the last of the sea gaskets, when the lower tops'l yard seemed to lift up in the air with a sudden jump for we were standing on it, instead of on the footropes of the upper tops'l. A great smashing below us, and the loud impact of something big and hard banging against the yard under our feet, sent us clambering to the upper stick for our lives. "_Lee fore sheet's adrift!_" someone shouted. There was a rush in to the mast to escape the heavy spectacle iron, and the cluster of flying clew garnet blocks, and the next thing we knew we were ordered to lay out on the fore yard and secure the sail. "_Lay down and secure fores'l!_" came the order from the mate, who stood on the fo'c'sle head, back to the gale, bellowing up his instructions. Six of us slid down to the top and out on the jumping foreyard. The buntlines and leechlines were finally hauled home, and we got our gaskets about the flying iron. A weird morning light was then breaking in the east and as our watch below was gone, all hands remained on deck for morning coffee after we hove her to under lower tops'ls, fore and main storm stays'ls, and trys'l. The Pampero gave us a taste of real weather, and came as an actual relief after the long monotonous passage through the trades and doldrums. CHAPTER VI LIFE IN THE FO'C'SLE With livelier weather of the Southern latitudes we were often exercised in tacking and wearing ship, and soon became a very well drilled company, sending the big three-sticker about in record time. The _Fuller_ was lively in stays and with our small crew required the smartest kind of work in handling. With all hands, including the "idlers," that is, the carpenter, cook and cabin steward, we mustered twenty men forward, hardly a man-o'-war complement, but enough, when driven and directed by superior seamanship, to send the long braces clicking through the sheaves of the patent blocks with a merry chatter. "Hands about ship!" meant all hands, _and the cook at the fore sheet_, a time honored station filled by the Celestial with all the importance in the world. It was all the work that Chow ever did on deck and the heathenish glee with which he would "let go" at the proper time, added a certain zest to our movements, particularly as we always hoped to have a sea come over and douse him, which often happened. At the order, "Ready! Ready!" the gear of the main and cro'jik was thrown down from the pins, clear for running. The command "Ease down the helm!" and the order "Spanker boom amidships!" would quickly follow, the vessel running rapidly into the eye of the wind with everything shaking, and then flat aback.