Part 17 (2/2)
”I have an idea,” cried Bill ”It's an ill wind that brings no one good luck If we can et on board that craft which has co, or at all events a raft; and should the wind coet across the Channel, or be picked up by some vessel or other We are pretty sure to find provisions on board Perhaps one of her boatsknocked to pieces, and we could repair her At all events, it will be our own fault if that wreck doesn't give us the opportunity of escaping”
Jack listened to all Bill was saying
”I cannot agree with you as to the chance of getting off,” he observed
”As soon as the wreck is seen, the Frenchht and carried back to prison instead of getting away The boats are pretty certain to have been knocked into shreds before this, and as to building a boat, that is what neither you nor I can do, even if we had the tools, and where are they to come from?”
”Perhaps we shall find theether till now, and I don't see why she should not hold together till the storm is over 'Where there's a will there's a way,' and I don't see that we have so bad a chance of getting off”
”Well, I'll help you You can shoe had best do,” said Jack
”I a to draw back on account of the risk All must depend on the weather If the wind cooes down, I should say that our best chance would be to build a raft We can do that, if we can only find an axe and a saw, and we et launched before the Frenchet on board, and e are there, we ht look-out to see that none of the natives are co come to this resolution, hurried back to the entrance of the cave
They forgot all about the s clothes for the on board the vessel They watched eagerly for the tide to go down The day passed by and the night caht ht over the scene The wind had also sensibly decreased, and the waves rolled in with far less fury than before
The water, however, seeoing down Rock after rock appeared, and looking over the ledge they could see the sand below theain reach the beach it had once left till the return of the tide, they leaped doithout hesitation, and began to make their way in the direction of the vessel
They had again to wait, however, for, as they pushed eagerly forward, a sheet of foa up nearly took thes
They retreated a short distance, and in a few minutes were able to pass the spot over the uncovered sand On and on they pressed, now advancing, now having to retreat, till they stood abreast of the vessel
The water still surrounded her, and was too deep to wade through
They looked round on every side, but not a trace of a boat could be discovered, though fragments of spars and the bulwarks of the vessel strewed the beach A the spars they found thole ones, which they secured
”These will help us to get on board if we find no ropes hanging over the side,” observed Bill; ”or they will enable us to withstand the sea should it catch us before we can climb up” They now advanced e, with her deck partly turned towards the shore, the sea, after she struck, having driven her round
They waded up to her, for their impatience did not permit them to wait till the water had entirely receded The risk they ran of being carried off was considerable, but, dashi+ng forward, they planted the spars against the side
Bill swarained
Scarcely were Jack's feet out of the water, when a huge sea ca up, which would inevitably have carried him off
They knew that they had no time to lose, for the wreck once seen from the shore, crowds of people were certain to visit it to carry off the cargo
The after-part of the vessel was stove in, and nothing reh nearly full of water, was unbroken
The water, however, was rushi+ng out like a e holes in the bows Nothing whatever reained the spar-deck, which was already out of the water Here the first object their eyes alighted on was a chest
It was the carpenter's, and contained axes, and saws, and nails, and tools of all sorts
There were a good ht spars and planks stowed on one side