He kept the rigging in his top, even when there was no occasion for it, coiled down as though for inspection, although nobody but the topmen and yardmen ever had occasion to examine it.
Nevertheless, Jones sent his topmen aloft, and in a trice he had his light yards on deck and his ship reefed down to fighting-canvas.
The Americans had suffered less on the decks than aloft, and Jarvis's topmen were employed most of the time in splicing and re-reeving gear.
The American topmen and marines during this time were pouring a terrific fire of musketry into the mass of men who had gathered forward on the English vessel.
Raising his trumpet, he cheered his topmen to further efforts.
There was a cry from the men at Jarvis's side, and the marines and topmen began dropping through the lubber's-hole, swinging themselves down the sides of the swaying mast by whatever gear they could lay their hands to.
When the main topmen were sent aloft to clear away the wreck, the tops'l halliards were belayed and then led along the deck and the tops'l hoisted again.
Just before the order was given for the light yard and topmen to lay aloft and furl and reef, Woywod, raging like a lion, discovered Wramm sleeping in the lee scuppers under the main pin-rail.
I wish I could take twenty topmen out of her, but they would be enough to corrupt the crew of the ark, Mr. Wharton.
A moment later her topmen were swarming aloft to set her top-sails and royals, and she strove to cross the Gloire's bows and rake her again.
In an instant the topmen were on the yards, the staysails were hauled down, and, the brig luffing up, the Gauntlet moved slowly ahead, while the hawsers were rapidly hauled on board.
He was seen standing aft conning the brig; the topmen were in the rigging, ready to swarm aloft to shorten sail; a party of the hands stood on the forecastle with the second lieutenant and boatswain, ready to secure the hawsers.
The young and nimble topmen bounded like leaping animals, into the rigging of their respective masts, and were seen ascending the shaking ladders of ropes as so many squirrels would hasten to their holes at the signal of alarm.
A dozen nimble topmen ascended to the assistance of Fid.
No sooner, therefore, had the latter fairly entered into the toils, than twenty topmen rushed out upon them, in order to make sure of their prizes.
The ships were broadside to broadside, when the Englishman's mizzen-mast was shot away, and fell, throwing the topmen far out into the sea.
At that moment, however, the American fire raked the enemy with fearful effect, and the volleys of musketry from the marines and topmen made such havoc among the crowded boarders that the attempt was abandoned.
But, just as the ship was rounding the point, there came up a heavy squall, which carried away the main topmast, throwing several topmen into the sea.
The three sailors who were killed were topmen at their posts, and the five wounded were almost all stationed in the rigging.
The shot rattled among the spars of the "Belvidera," but the nimble topmen quickly repaired all damages; and the British ship slowly but steadily forged ahead.
The topmen clambered to their posts in the rigging, led by the midshipmen who were to command them.
Long before the officer of the deck had reported the danger of the foremast, one of the topmen had told Jarvis, who was but a lad, that the mast was likely to fall.
When it was seen that nothing could save the mainmast, the topmen leaped and clambered down, and an old sailor begged the little midshipman to save himself.
There was a fair division of labour in carrying out the operation, the topmenand after-guard scouring the planks with sand; after which the decks were flushed fore and aft with floods of water pumped up by the "idlers.
This was Dick Popplethorne, a smart lad, who prompted the topmen under his charge to emulate his ready example, so as to get ahead of the others.
Mr Jellaby from the extreme fore-end of the lower deck, where he had been bustling up the topmen and seeing to the messenger being properly attached to the cable.
Every man to his quarters," he said; "the topmen will get the ship clear while the carpenters rig up a jury bowsprit.
On deck, the crew were standing silent and motionless by the standing rigging, the gunners at their pieces, and the topmen at their posts.
The Stygies ran to their posts, the topmen flew aloft, and in a few moments both ships were turned about, and under full sail from the inlet.
The weapons for close quarters were pikes, cutlasses, and a few axes; while the marines and some of the topmen had muskets, and occasionally rifles.
At last one of the topmen said that he had seen them chasing Master Spider among the boughs of the forest.
The topmenswarmed on the yards, the idlers were at their stations.
A moment later her topmen were swarming aloft to set her topsails and royals, and she strove to cross the "Gloire's" bows and rake her again.
A moment later her topmenwere swarming aloft to set her topsails and royals, and she strove to cross the Gloire's bows and rake her again.
In the Constitution's tops were two small howitzers, and suddenly the topmen began to pour into the midst of the would-be boarders a perfect shower of grape and canister.
The shot rattled among the spars of the Belvidera, but the nimble topmen quickly repaired all damages; and the British ship increased the distance between herself and the American fleet.
The topmen fired down at the deck of the opposing ship and picked off many a brave man.
He pauses now, for the topmen hail-- "On the larboard quarter a sail!
Up they flew with the topmen to their respective stations, while the officer of the watch was shouting through his speaking-trumpet.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "topmen" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
