The mainsail was spilling the wind, and slapping and thrashing about till it seemed it would tear itself to pieces.

The sloop was rolling wildly in the quick sea which had come up.

Everything was in confusion; but even Joe's untrained eye showed him that it was an orderly confusion.

He could see that 'Frisco Kid knew just what to do and just how to do it.

As he watched him he learned a lesson, the lack of which has made failures of the lives of many men--_the value of knowledge of one's own capacities_.
'Frisco Kid knew what he was able to do, and because of this he had confidence in himself.