But to-night there was hardly a hush on deck, except now and then the trampling of the sailors' feet, or a song borne aft from the forecastle.
But when the battle began in earnest, and the first gun went off, I bolted aft with my tail like a bottle-brush, and dived down below.
I always knew what was going to happen when this took place, and ran aft right speedily and got down below to my master's bed; because do what I might, I could never reconcile myself to the noise of those terrible guns.
The sun had been fearfully hot that forenoon, but Tom came aft to the quarter-deck, where I was lying panting, with my mouth open.
Twice more the lieutenant went aftto the quarter-deck, and twice he got the same reply.
Decatur stood aft by the helmsman, watching the quivering leeches, and keeping her well up into the wind.
No one seemed to have the strength to haul it down; so Biddle went aft and lowered it to the deck.
When the launch returned, Mulholland brought the papers to me, lounging aftin a mass of cushions under the awning.
Way up in the lead was Booth Montague and the bloodhounds, and away aft I could hear Jonadab yellin': "Stop thief!
This was fitted with a door at the aft end, and a row of little windows along each side.
The men in the boat were now pulling away at the top of their speed, but with the wind dead aft the yacht bore swiftly down upon them.
One of them scrambled on board the Swan, and rushed aft with an oar upraised to strike, but Frank laid the helm over as he put the yacht about, and the boom struck the fellow on the head and knocked him overboard.
Jimmy took up the bucket, and was walking aft with it, when his foot slipped on an eel that had made its escape, and was wriggling about the deck.
Between the forward cabin and the cabin aft there is placed a rapid-fire gun.
The sheet is led aft to a spar that projects beyond the counter.
If the wind is coming in the direction B the jib and foresail may require slackening and the aft sails pulled in more than when sailing with the wind in the direction C.
A small exhaust steam pipe, which can be made from a piece of brass tubing, is mounted directlyaft of the funnel.
The overhang aft is sometimes called the counter-stern.
In the yawl the mizzenmast is always stepped aft of the rudder-post.
The cabin which is placed aft on the boat, is of very simple construction.
Other wires ran down the foremast to a little cubby just aft of it.
All the afternoon there had been a freshening breeze, and now Schofield found himself rowing against a head sea that occasionally slapped over the high bow of the dory and ran aft over the half ton of fish that lay under his feet.
Arrived at the schooner, they pitched their fish into the pen for the first watch to dress and rolledaft for the night.
Jimmie Thomas came aft and stood by the wheel on the port side.
One strong pull and the dory rose out of the nest of four others that lay justaft of the mainmast.
Humbled, and cringing like a whipped dog, he made his dory fast to the Nettie's rail and slunk aft to the solitude of his cabin.
Of all this Code had been ignorant, for the conversation had taken place too far aft for him to hear.
Code Schofield went aft to his cabin companionway, and prepared to go below and open his log.
In the midst of all this Code Schofield struggled aft and began hauling forth the mains'l that at the first edge of the Bank had been relegated in favor of the triangular riding sail.
He stood just aftthe foremast, to which he had lashed himself with a gasket or small rope round his waist, to prevent his falling on the deck or being washed overboard.
Having satisfied himself that all was right below, Mr Stevenson returnedaft and went on deck, where a sublime and awful sight awaited him.
Some slight noise upon the quarter-deck caused Stirling to turn aft till he stood in the gloom of the galley cabin.
He dropped to the deck like a plummet, strode aft and mounted the poop, where Marr stood with the pin in his hand.
Stirling glanced aft to where the Russian at the wheel was taking his orders from the leader who had sprung upon the weather rail and was holding to the mizzen shrouds.
Stirling worked his way aft to the thrust bearings, which were three in number.
The revolutionists in the engine room had brought aft a number of sheets of boiler plate, and these they had erected about the tail shaft where it entered the engine room.
He made his way aft to the wheel while the mate lunged forward and joined the group upon the forecastle head.
The ice had gathered upon the spokes of the wheel, and a sleet drove fromaft to forward.
The Russians had been too startled to prevent this manoeuvre, but now they came aft with torches and pinch bars.
I guess we'd better not worry about the cubby-hole aft and the woman.
Stirling paused at the rail long enough to order the anchor dropped, then went aft as the Russians cut the deck lashings and began lifting the anchor.
He moved the plate, and waited; then he crawled halfway through the opening and secured the belt, Backing carefully, he worked his way aft to the thrust block.
Then he started aft and mounted the poop steps, his whistle merging into a low song.
He then straightened and motioned aft for a second time.
The Russians on deck surged aft for fear of catastrophe.
He stepped out on the dark deck with firm stride, glancing intuitively aft as he threw one leg over the port rail, after rounding the deck house.
The hastily dressed crew had rushed aft and were gathered in the waist as Stirling thrust his jaw forward and locked glances with the little skipper.
The crew of the ship had, for safety's sake, assembled aft on the full poop; and among them could be seen a female figure crouching down under the meagre shelter of the cabin skylight evidently in a state of extreme terror.
He was standing just where we are now, and after they had said a few words they walked aft together.
Seein' there was no use in keepin' the body aboard, I called one of the Dutchmen aft and told him to fix it up in a bit of canvas.
As soon as the course was set and everything going smooth, Milwaukee made right aft to where Dance was steering.
Way up in the lead was Booth Montague and the bloodhounds, and away aft I could hear Jonadab yelling: "Stop thief!
He was a thin, lengthy craft, with more'n the average amount of wrists sticking out of his sleeves, and with long black hair trimmed aftbehind his ears and curling on the back of his neck.
Him and Julius and Teunis made a flying leapaft to get at Rosy.
From the mutineer at the rail came another hoarse hail: "Shove off and get away, or we'll rush the crowd aft and wind up the women!
There were a few hurried words in the little group of fouraft on the steam yacht.
The watch lieutenant, who had hurried aft at this juncture, stood waiting respectfully for a word with his superior.
For presently the little island lay black, a ragged shadow against the blue-grey sky, upon the starboard beam; and Bascom passed the word aft to shut off the motor.
Disquieted, he found distasteful the thought of returning to the lower deck, and so strolled idly aft with a half-formed notion of looking up Iff.
When I had finished a can of 'em I hunted up Andy, an' then we went aft an' eat some more.
The bare-legged boy whose duty it was to stay forward and mind the jib came aft as soon as he smelt a story, and took a nautical position, which was duly studied by Mr. Nugent, on a bag of ballast in the bottom of the boat.
Extending right aft for a distance of ten feet beyond the vertical rudder was a long hollow pole made of aluminium.
The stem dipped, then, jerked forward by the strain of the towrope, the yacht plunged her bows under till there was solid water as far aft as the mainmast.
In obedience to a sign from the lieutenant-commander, a seaman made his way aft to where the White Ensign floated proudly in the breeze.
I snatched the neglected glasses from the deck and hurried aft to join my client on the overhang, but a pipe was all they revealed above the bleak hillocks of sand.
Her lowest deck (too low for the purpose) was pierced aft with three ports on a side, and six worn-out eighteen-pounders mounted there.
But hardly had the name resounded with joy throughout the ship, when a hail of grape and canister tore through our sails from aft forward.
None of the four that remained could do more than haul aftand belay a sheet.
And Mr. Cooke, feeling his way aft with more discretion than grace, finally descended into the cabin, where he was noisily received.
At that moment the commodore lay down from aloft, and our hearts beat high as he walked swiftly aft to the quarterdeck, where he paused for a word with Mr. Dale.
And he walked to the taffrail, and stood looking astern that two men who had come aft to splice a haulyard might not perceive his disorder.
At length, one morning, Captain Griggs came out of his cabin and climbed upon the poop, calling all hands aft to the quarterdeck.
