He had intended making sail the moment he stepped on the deck again; but, instead of finding everything stowed and the anchor tripped ready for the _Josephine_ to start on his arrival, he saw that her cable was still out, while the barge containing the cow was yet alongside.
Captain Miles was awfully angry.

Everybody could see this; as he ordered the men in the gig to row her astern, and in a very harsh tone of voice, as he scuttled up the side-ladder and turned into the main- deck port; hook on the falls ready for hoisting her up again to the davits.
"Mr Marline!" he cried out to the first mate when he reached the deck, "what is the meaning of this?
I expected you'd have been all ready to sail, and here is that launch alongside yet and the cargo not aboard!" "All the rum's in, sir," replied Mr Marline quietly, for he was a dry old stick and seldom said a word more than necessary.
"But the cow, man, the cow!" retorted the captain.

"Why is she not hoisted inboard as well ?" "We couldn't manage her, sir," replied Mr Marline with a sly grin.
"The brute butts everybody that comes near her." "Why didn't you sling her ?" inquired Captain Miles.
"We tried to, but couldn't," said the mate.

"She kicks so that she tumbled back twice and nearly went into the sea." "Oh, you're all a parcel of nincompoops!" exclaimed the captain quite roused at this.

"I'll show you how a seaman can manage it!" With that, catching hold of the side lines, he went down the ladder again like winking and into the launch alongside.
Here, the cow, which looked even more enraged than Captain Miles, stood in the centre of the boat, with the negroes who had pulled out the live load from shore, standing up in the bows and on the gunwales, so as to be out of the reach of the infuriated animal, which every now and then made a rush at some black leg or other, making the owner yell out and try to avoid the butt.
"Pass down a whip with a spare bit of canvas," sang out the captain, sitting down in the stern-sheets; and on receiving these articles he set to work to make a sort of broad belt to pass under the cow's stomach, in the same way as is done with horses about to be shipped on board transports when cavalry regiments are embarking.
When he had made the sling to his satisfaction, satisfying himself that it was strong enough by attaching it to his own person and then making the crew haul him up, his sixteen stone weight being some criterion to go by, he ordered those at the derrick to lower him down again; and then, with a halter all ready, which he threw over the animal's head, he advanced bravely towards the cow to arrange the belt under her body, thinking he could do it easily enough.
Mrs Brindle, however, was too quick for him.
Tossing off the rope bridle like a piece of straw, she lowered her head, and catching the captain in the stomach sent him head over heels backwards into the bottom of the boat, where one of the thwarts only prevented her from pursuing him further, which she would most undoubtedly have done judging by her vicious look.
At that moment, Jake, who had been looking over the side of the ship, seeing what had happened and anxious to be of service, slid down the whip-tackle into the boat.