noon
He ordered the captain to cut the halyard by which the cook 's body was towing , and also to go forward and cut loose the jib-halyard and sheet . When he had done so , the jib fluttered a couple of moments like a handkerchief , then tore out of the bolt-ropes and vanished . The _ Sophie Sutherland _ was running under bare poles . By noon the storm had spent itself , and by six in the evening the waves had died down sufficiently to let Chris leave the helm . It was almost hopeless to dream of the small boats weathering the typhoon , but there is always the chance in saving human life , and Chris at once applied himself to going back over the course along which he had fled . He managed to get a reef in one of the inner jibs and two reefs in the spanker , and then , with the aid of the watch-tackle , to hoist them to the stiff breeze that yet blew . And all through the night , tacking back and forth on the back track , he shook out canvas as fast as the wind would permit .