Top-sail, royal, stay-sails, would add sensibly to the schooner's speed, and Dick Sand resolved to set them.
This operation would be more difficult than the others, not for the stay-sails, which could be hoisted, hauled aboard and fastened from below, but for the cross-jacks of the foremast.

It was necessary to climb to the spars to let them out, and Dick Sand, not wishing to expose any one of his improvised crew, undertook to do it himself.
He then called Tom and put him at the wheel, showing him how he should keep the ship.

Then Hercules, Bat, Acteon and Austin being placed, some at the royal halyards, others at those of the top-sails, he proceeded up the mast.

To climb the rattlings of the fore-shrouds, then the rattlings of the topmast-shrouds, to gain the spars, that was only play for the young novice.

In a minute he was on the foot-rope of the top-sail yard, and he let go the rope-bands which kept the sail bound.
Then he stood on the spars again and climbed on the royal yard, where he let out the sail rapidly.
Dick Sand had finished his task, and seizing one of the starboard backstays, he slid to the deck.
There, under his directions, the two sails were vigorously hauled and fastened, then the two yards hoisted to the block.