"Don"t give it up, Mollie; our salvation depends on that boat. I found out something more, when I went aloft this morning."
"What?"
"There is another island off here to the northward, just as far as you can see. We may wish to go there, and the boat would be wanted then."
"Noddy, perhaps there are savages on those islands, who will kill us if we go on sh.o.r.e."
"Two can play at that game," replied Noddy, in his confident tone.
"What could a boy like you do against a mob of Indians?"
"There are two or three pistols in the cabin, and I think I know how to use them; at any rate I shall not be butchered, nor let you be, without showing them what I am made of," answered Noddy, as he rose from the planks, and turned his attention once more to the moving of the boat.
"You wouldn"t shoot them--would you?"
"Not if I could help it. I shouldn"t want to shoot them; and I won"t do it, if they behave themselves. But I must go to work on the boat now."
"Let me help you, Noddy, I am real strong, and I can do a great deal."
"I will tell you when you can help me, Mollie, for I may need a little a.s.sistance."
"I don"t see how you are going to do this job."
"I will show you in a moment," replied Noddy, as he ran up the main shrouds.
He carried a small hatchet in his belt, with which he detached the starboard fore-brace from the mast. This was a rope, the end of which was tied to the main-mast, and extended through a single sheaf-block at the starboard fore-yard-arm. After pa.s.sing through this block, the brace returned to the main-mast, pa.s.sed through another block, and led down upon the deck. There was another rope of the same kind on the port side of the vessel. They were used to swing round the yard, in order to place the sail so that it would draw in the wind.
When Noddy cut it loose, the brace dropped to the deck. It was now simply a rope pa.s.sing through a single block at the end of the yard. The little engineer made fast one end of the brace to the ring in the bow of the boat. He then unhooked the peak halliards of the fore-sail, and attached them to the ring in the stern of the boat. Now, if he had had the strength, he would have pulled on the yard-arm rope till he dragged the bow out over the water; the stern line being intended merely to steady the boat, if necessary, and keep it from jamming against the mast. When he had drawn the bow out as far as he could with the brace, he meant to attach the same rope to the stern, and complete the job.
"That"s all very pretty," said Mollie, who had carefully noticed all her companion"s proceedings; "but you and I can"t hoist the boat up with that rigging."
"I know that, Mollie," replied Noddy, wiping the perspiration from his brow. "I haven"t done yet."
"I am afraid you won"t make out, Noddy."
"Yes, I shall. Work and win; that"s the idea."
"You are working very hard, and I hope you will win."
"Did you know I made an improvement on Miss Bertha"s maxim?"
"Indeed! What?"
"He that works shall win."
"That"s very encouraging; but it isn"t always true."
"It is when you work in the right way," answered Noddy, as he took the end of the yard-arm rope, and, after pa.s.sing it through a s.n.a.t.c.h-block, began to wind it around the barrel of the small capstan on the forecastle.
"Perhaps you haven"t got the right way."
"If I haven"t I shall try again, and keep trying till I do get it,"
replied Noddy, as he handed Mollie the end of the rope which he had wound four times round the capstan. "Do you think you can hold this rope and take in the slack?"
"I am afraid there will not be any to take in; but I can hold it, if there is," said she, satirically, but without even a smile.
Noddy inserted one of the capstan bars, and attempted to "walk round;"
but his feeble powers were not sufficient to move the boat a single inch. He tightened up the rope, and that was all he could accomplish.
"I was afraid you could not stir it," said Mollie; but her tones were full of sympathy for her companion in his disappointment.
He struggled in vain for a time; but it required a little more engineering to make the machinery move. Taking a "gun-tackle purchase,"
or "tackle and fall," as it is called on sh.o.r.e, he attached one hook to the extreme end of the capstan bar, and the other to the rail. This added power accomplished the work; and he made the capstan revolve with ease, though the business went on very slowly. He was obliged to shift back the bar four times for every revolution of the barrel. But the boat moved forward, and that was success. He persevered, and skill and labor finally accomplished the difficult task. The boat floated in the water alongside the wreck. He had worked; he had won.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE BEAUTIFUL ISLAND.
"There, Mollie, what do you think now!" exclaimed the youthful engineer, as he made fast the painter of the boat to a ring in the deck of the schooner.
"You have worked very hard, Noddy, but you have succeeded. You must be very tired."
"I am tired, for I have done a hard day"s work."
"You ought to rest now."
"I think I will. We are in no hurry, for we are very comfortable here, and storms don"t come very often."
It was late in the afternoon when the work of getting out the boat was finished. Noddy had labored very hard, and he was perfectly willing to rest during the remainder of the day. Mollie made some tea, and they had supper at an early hour. It was a remarkably pleasant day, and the air was as soft and balmy as a poet"s dream. Both the young workers were very much fatigued, and they sat upon the deck till dark.
"Where is my father now?" asked Mollie, as she cast a nervous glance towards the beautiful island which they hoped to reach on the following day.
"Where is he?" repeated Noddy, surprised at the question, and not knowing what she meant.
"I mean his remains."
"In his state-room," answered Noddy, very reluctant to have the subject considered.
"Will you do one thing more for me, Noddy?" demanded she, earnestly and impressively.
"Certainly, I will, Mollie."
"It shall be the last thing I shall ask you to do for me."