Re: Afternoon Aloft, 1st July

**Terry Button** Sat Jan 05, 2013 9:37 am

Terry wasn't exactly afraid of hard work, but he wasn't quite sure how Chase could be so sure of its happening. He gave a non-committal shrug and fiddled with the end of the bit of spun-yarn.

**Jacob Chase** Sat Jan 05, 2013 9:50 am

"Clove hitch," Chase said and hid a grin.

**Terry Button** Sat Jan 05, 2013 10:30 am

Terry looked up at Chase before untying the bowline on a bight. Now, what could he tie a clove hitch around...?

He tried not to grin as he daringly tied a clove hitch around Chase's arm. Well, what else was he supposed to use?

**Jacob Chase** Sat Jan 05, 2013 10:40 am

Eh? The slight tug around his shirt sleeve got Chase's notice, and he laughed when he realised what caused it. Clever lad!

"Very good, mate!"

**Terry Button** Sat Jan 05, 2013 10:46 am

Terry ducked his head, giggling. It wasn't that he thought Chase would hit him, just that he didn't want to look too pleased with himself - or too much like he was laughing at Chase.

Though, really, the look on his face was too funny.

**Jacob Chase** Sat Jan 05, 2013 11:35 am

"Try a half-hitch now," he said. "Take the workin' end an' pass it over an' under the standin' part."

**Terry Button** Sat Jan 05, 2013 11:37 am

Take the...? He blinked up at Chase, before complying with the Tar's instructions as best he could - that hadn't sounded at all clear.

**Jacob Chase** Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:00 pm

It was near enough. "It ain't a very good knot, the half-hitch. Not on its own, anyway."

**Terry Button** Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:02 pm

"So what's it for, then?" he asked, looking up from the bit of string wrapped around Chase's upper arm.

**Jacob Chase** Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:05 pm

"Makin' other knots. Hitches, bends, that sorta thing. It's only good by itself when it's tied after a timber hitch."

**Terry Button** Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:12 pm

"So... Oh. What's it do tied after a clove hitch, then?" He reached to untie the string, feeling a little self-conscious about tying it round Chase's arm in the first place.

**Jacob Chase** Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:41 pm

"Stops it, case it comes loose somehow. Though it's two half hitches for that, 'stead of jus' one."

**Terry Button** Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:44 pm

Terry nodded thoughtfully. "If... if two ha'pence makes a penny..." he began, thinking aloud, "'ow come two 'alf 'itches doesn't makes an 'itch?"

**Jacob Chase** Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:55 pm

" 'Cause a hitch ain't a knot all its own, really. It's more like... describin' a whole set of 'em that binds a length of cordage to somethin' solid."

**Terry Button** Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:57 pm

He scratched his ear again. "Oh. So... so it's a 'alf 'itch a-cause it's only goin' round summat 'alf sol... solid?" If the standing part could be described that way, anyway!

**Jacob Chase** Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:10 pm

That was a good question. In truth, Chase had never thought that much about why things were named what, but instead had merely accepted them as fact.

"Makes sense, that. I ain't thought on it 'fore."

**Terry Button** Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:13 pm

Well, fair enough. He'd got the spun-yarn loose now, and was fiddling with one end, which had begun to fray a bit.

Something occurred to him and he looked up, an anxious expression on his thin face. "You don'... You don't mind me askin' you stuff, do you?"

**Jacob Chase** Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:20 pm

"Nope," Chase answered, shaking his head. "How're you s'posed to learn anythin' if you don't ask questions 'bout stuff you don't know?"

**Terry Button** Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:22 pm

"Lissen to what folks sez," he replied, looking up through the strands of blond hair that had escaped his hat. "On'y, they don't reelly talk much t'me an' the uvver boys."

**Jacob Chase** Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:29 pm

The topman grinned. "See, listenin' works on'y when you're wantin' to know what's bein' said. Only way to be sure's to ask questions."

**Terry Button** Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:36 pm

Well, that made sense. "You's awful clever," he replied, tucking the errant strand of hair back under his hat.

**Jacob Chase** Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:40 pm

"Course I am," said Chase with a smirk. "Can't be a foretopman, else!"

**Terry Button** Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:42 pm

That just made Terry grin. He poked his tongue out at the Tar, feeling slightly amazed that he dared to do so.

**Jacob Chase** Sat Jan 05, 2013 2:55 pm

It was like that, was it? Chase removed the spun-yarn from round his arm, then in a quick movement swept the lad's hat from his head. In a twinkling, he'd bound the wool cap up in a rolling hitch.

**Terry Button** Sat Jan 05, 2013 7:44 pm

"Hey - hey!" Terry made a futile attempt to grab his hat but Chase was too quick, and it was all tied up with another knot Terry didn't know. "Wozzat one called, then? An' 'owdja tie it?"

Sponsored content

May 1809
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

June 1809
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30

July 1809
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

May 1809
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

June 1809
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30

July 1809
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

May 1809
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

June 1809
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30

July 1809
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

May 1809
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

June 1809
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30

July 1809
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31