The sail was then loosely stowed for a while, and a double- purchase block and tackle rigged up in its place on the stay.
Mr Marline then sang out to Moggridge to cast-off the shank painter securing the best bower to the starboard side of the ship, this being the easiest anchor of the two to handle, for it was to windward, clear of the sheets of the head-sails; whereupon, the lifting gear being attached, the ponderous mass of metal was soon hoisted up above the cat- head and swayed inboard by means of a guy-line fastened to one of the flukes.
The command was then given to lower away, when, the anchor being deposited on the deck of the forecastle, it was made snug close to the foremast bitts, so that it could not shift its new moorings as the vessel rolled.
The chain-cable was next unshackled from the ring in the anchor-stock and rattled down into the locker in the fore-peak; after which, the starboard hawse-hole was plugged up to prevent any water from finding its way below through the orifice.

Thus, in a very little time, half the task the captain had set the men to do was accomplished, the seamen working with a will and singing cheerily as they laid on to the falls of the tackle, "yo-ho-heaving" all together, and pulling with might and main.
The other anchor, however, being to leeward, was a little more difficult to manage, for it was submerged every now and then as the ship canted over, pitching her bows into the sea and splashing the spray up over the yard-arm; but, sailors are not soon daunted when they have a job on hand, and soon the shank painter of this was also cast-off and the purchase tackle made fast.
"Hoist away, men!" cried Mr Marline.
"Run away with the falls, you lubbers," echoed Moggridge, who was as busy about the matter as the first mate and doing two men's work himself; but, although the usual chorus was raised, and the sailors tugged away with all their strength, the anchor would not budge from its resting-place on the cat-head.
"The tackle has fouled the jib-sheet," said Jackson, who had been pulling like a horse at the rope's end, and now looked over the side to see what prevented them from lifting the port bower.

"Shall I get over and clear it, sir ?" "Aye, do," replied the mate; when Jackson got over the bows in a jiffey, holding on with one hand while he used the other to disentangle the purchase tackle, and not minding a bit the water, which rose up as high as his neck when the ship dipped.
"Haul away, it's all clear now!" he called out presently; and he was just stepping inboard again when, the _Josephine_ suddenly luffing up to the wind, the jib flapped, and, the sheet knocking the poor fellow off his balance, he tumbled backwards into the sea, without having time even to utter a cry.
"Man overboard!" shouted Mr Marline at the top of his voice.
For a moment, the wildest confusion seemed to reign throughout the vessel, the hands scurrying to the side; and looking over into the sea below, where we could see Jackson's head bob up for an instant; but as we gazed down he was drifted rapidly astern and quickly lost to sight in the trough of the waves.
The hubbub, however, only lasted an instant; for almost as soon as the mate's shout had been heard aft, Captain Miles's voice rang through the vessel in brief words of command, sharp and to the point.
"Stand by, men," he cried.

"Hands 'bout ship!" The crew at once jumped toward the braces, singing out "Ready, aye, ready," as they cast them off, some going to the lee-sheets to haul in there.
"Helm's a-lee!" then came from aft, followed by the orders "Tacks and sheets!" and "Mainsail haul!" when, the _Josephine's_ bows paying off under the influence of the tacked head-sails, the yards were swung round in a trice; and, within less than five minutes the vessel was retracing the same track she had just gone over in quest of the missing man.
A man was sent up in the foretop, while Captain Miles himself ran up the ratlines of the mizzen shrouds to look out; and, at the same time, preparations were made for lowering the gig, which fortunately was still slung from the davits astern, not having been yet housed inboard with the other boats amidships--that being the next job the captain intended seeing to after the anchors were got in.
I, of course, was as much excited as anyone, and remained on the forecastle, looking out eagerly for any sign of Jackson, although I could not see him anywhere.

I believe I was so confused with the ship having gone round on the opposite tack, in order to go back on her course, that I hardly knew in which direction to look for the unfortunate man, for what had before been ahead of the ship was now necessarily astern from her reversing her position.
In another minute, however, the look out in the foretop discerned Jackson, and he hailed the deck at once.
"There he is! there he is!" he sang out.
"Where ?" cried Captain Miles impatiently.
"About four cables' length off the weather bow.