At a quarter to twelve, when we were called for our twelve to four watch
on deck, I could tell at once, by the sound, that there was a fresh
breeze blowing; at the same time, I heard the voices of the men on the
other watch, singing out as they hauled on the ropes. I caught the
rattle of canvas in the wind, and guessed that they were taking the
royals off her. I looked at my watch, which I always kept hanging in my
bunk. It showed the time to be just after the quarter; so that, with
luck, we should escape having to go up to the sails. I dressed quickly, and then went to the door to look at the weather. I
found that the wind had shifted from the starboard quarter, to right
aft; and, by the look of the sky, there seemed to be a promise of more,
before long. Up aloft, I could make out faintly the fore and mizzen royals flapping
in the wind. The main had been left for a while longer. In the fore
riggings, Jacobs, the Ordinary Seaman in the Mate's watch, was following
another of the men aloft to the sail. The Mate's two 'prentices were
already up at the mizzen. Down on deck, the rest of the men were busy
clearing up the ropes. I went back to my bunk, and looked at my watch--the time was only a few
minutes off eight bells; so I got my oilskins ready, for it looked like
rain outside. As I was doing this, Jock went to the door for a look. "What's it doin', Jock?" Tom asked, getting out of his bunk, hurriedly. "I'm thinkin' maybe it's goin' to blow a wee, and ye'll be needin' yer'
oilskins," Jock answered. When eight bells went, and we mustered aft for roll-call, there was a
considerable delay, owing to the Mate refusing to call the roll until
Tom (who as usual, had only turned out of his bunk at the last minute)
came aft to answer his name. When, at last, he did come, the Second and
the Mate joined in giving him a good dressing down for a lazy sojer; so
that several minutes passed before we were on our way forrard again. This was a small enough matter in itself, and yet really terrible in its
consequence to one of our number; for, just as we reached the fore
rigging, there was a shout aloft, loud above the noise of the wind, and
the next moment, something crashed down into our midst, with a great,
slogging thud--something bulky and weighty, that struck full upon Jock,
so that he went down with a loud, horrible, ringing "ugg," and never
said a word. From the whole crowd of us there went up a yell of fear,
and then, with one accord, there was a run for the lighted fo'cas'le. I
am not ashamed to say that I ran with the rest. A blind, unreasoning
fright had seized me, and I did not stop to think. Once in the fo'cas'le and the light, there was a reaction. We all stood
and looked blankly at one another for a few moments. Then someone asked
a question, and there was a general murmur of denial. We all felt
ashamed, and someone reached up and unhooked the lantern on the port
side. I did the same with the starboard one; and there was a quick
movement towards the doors. As we streamed out on deck, I caught the
sound of the Mates' voices. They had evidently come down from off the
poop to find out what had happened; but it was too dark to see their
whereabouts. "Where the hell have you all got to?" I heard the Mate shout. The next instant, they must have seen the light from our lanterns; for I
heard their footsteps, coming along the deck at a run. They came the
starboard side, and just abaft the fore rigging, one of them stumbled
and fell over something. It was the First Mate who had tripped. I knew
this by the cursing that came directly afterwards. He picked himself up,
and, apparently without stopping to see what manner of thing it was that
he had fallen over, made a rush to the pin-rail. The Second Mate ran
into the circle of light thrown by our lanterns, and stopped, dead--
eyeing us doubtfully. I am not surprised at this, _now_, nor at the
behaviour of the Mate, the following instant; but at that time, I must
say I could not conceive what had come to them, particularly the First
Mate. He came out at us from the darkness with a rush and a roar like a
bull and brandishing a belaying-pin. I had failed to take into account
the scene which his eyes must have shown him:--the whole crowd of men in
the fo'cas'le--both watches--pouring out on to the deck in utter
confusion, and greatly excited, with a couple of fellows at their head,
carrying lanterns. And before this, there had been the cry aloft and the
crash down on deck, followed by the shouts of the frightened crew, and
the sounds of many feet running. He may well have taken the cry for a
signal, and our actions for something not far short of mutiny. Indeed,
his words told us that this was his very thought. "I'll knock the face off the first man that comes a step further aft!" he shouted, shaking the pin in my face. "I'll show yer who's master
here! What the hell do yer mean by this? Get forrard into yer kennel!" There was a low growl from the men at the last remark, and the old bully
stepped back a couple of paces. "Hold on, you fellows!" I sung out. "Shut up a minute." "Mr. Tulipson!" I called out to the Second, who had not been able to get
a word in edgeways, "I don't know what the devil's the matter with the
First Mate; but he'll not find it pay to talk to a crowd like ours, in
that sort of fashion, or there'll be ructions aboard." "Come! come! Jessop! This won't do! I can't have you talking like that
about the Mate!" he said, sharply. "Let me know what's to-do, and then
go forrard again, the lot of you." "We'd have told you at first, Sir," I said, "only the Mate wouldn't give
any of us a chance to speak. There's been an awful accident, Sir. Something's fallen from aloft, right on to Jock--"

I stopped suddenly; for there was a loud crying aloft. "Help! help! help!" someone was shouting, and then it rose from a shout
into a scream. "My God! Sir!" I shouted. "That's one of the men up at the fore royal!" "Listen!" ordered the Second Mate. "Listen!" Even as he spoke, it came
again--broken and, as it were, in gasps. "Help!... Oh!... God!... Oh!... Help! H-e-l-p!" Abruptly, Stubbins's voice struck in. "Hup with us, lads! By God! hup with us!" and he made a spring into the
fore rigging. I shoved the handle of the lantern between my teeth, and
followed. Plummer was coming; but the Second Mate pulled him back. "That's sufficient," he said. "I'm going," and he came up after me. We went over the foretop, racing like fiends. The light from the lantern
prevented me from seeing to any distance in the darkness; but, at the
crosstrees, Stubbins, who was some ratlines ahead, shouted out all at
once, and in gasps:

"They're fightin' ... like ... hell!" "What?" called the Second Mate, breathlessly. Apparently, Stubbins did not hear him; for he made no reply. We cleared
the crosstrees, and climbed into the t'gallant rigging.