Then out from the semi-darkness at the starboard yard-arm, there came a curse from Jaskett, followed almost immediately by a noise of something vibrating.

“What’s up?” shouted the Second Mate.  “What’s up, Jaskett?”

“It’s ther foot-rope, Sir-r-r!” he drew out the last word into a sort of gasp.

The Second Mate bent quickly, with the lantern.  I craned round the after side of the top-mast, and looked.

“What is the matter, Mr. Tulipson?” I heard the Old Man singing out.

Out on the yard-arm, Jaskett began to shout for help, and then, all at once, in the light from the Second Mate’s lantern, I saw that the starboard foot-rope on the upper topsail yard was being violently shaken—­savagely shaken, is perhaps a better word.  And then, almost in the same instant, the Second Mate shifted the lantern from his right to his left hand.  He put the right into his pocket and brought out his gun with a jerk.  He extended his hand and arm, as though pointing at something a little below the yard.  Then a quick flash spat out across the shadows, followed immediately by a sharp, ringing crack.  In the same moment, I saw that the foot-rope ceased to shake.

“Light your flare!  Light your flare, Jaskett!” the Second shouted.  “Be smart now!”

Out at the yard-arm there came a splutter of a match, and then, straightaway, a great spurt of fire as the flare took light.

“That’s better, Jaskett.  You’re all right now!” the Second Mate called out to him.

“What was it, Mr. Tulipson?” I heard the Skipper ask.

I looked up, and saw that he had sprung across to where the Second Mate was standing.  The Second Mate explained to him; but he did not speak loud enough for me to catch what he said.

I had been struck by Jaskett’s attitude, when the light of his flare had first revealed him.  He had been crouched with his right knee cocked over the yard, and his left leg down between it and the foot-rope, while his elbows had been crooked over the yard for support, as he was lighting the flare.  Now, however, he had slid both feet back on to the foot-rope, and was lying on his belly, over the yard, with the flare held a little below the head of the sail.  It was thus, with the light being on the foreside of the sail, that I saw a small hole a little below the foot-rope, through which a ray of the light shone.  It was undoubtedly the hole which the bullet from the Second Mate’s revolver had made in the sail.

Then I heard the Old Man shouting to Jaskett.

“Be careful with that flare there!” he sung out.  “You’ll be having that sail scorched!”

He left the Second Mate, and came back on to the port side of the mast.

To my right, Plummer’s flares seemed to be dwindling.  I glanced up at his face through the smoke.  He was paying no attention to it; instead, he was staring up above his head.

“Shove some paraffin on to it, Plummer,” I called to him.  “It’ll be out in a minute.”