Tell him to see that everything is cut free from the fore mast." Reuben made his way aloft with difficulty.

It needed all his strength to prevent the wind from tearing him from his grasp of the shrouds, but at length he reached the fore top, where the mate was at work.

He delivered the captain's message.
"Ask the captain to wait five minutes, till I get the back stay secured.

I will send a man down, as soon as I am ready." "You take this axe," the captain said, when Reuben regained the deck, "and stand by this stay.

When you see me ready to cut the other, cut at the same moment." In a few minutes Bill came down, with a message to the captain that all was ready.