Part 20 (2/2)

On they went again Bill was thankful, on reaching the ht It see time since he had quitted the wreck He did not reone They juan to wade towards the wreck, but had to swiold we could not have done this,”

observed Bill ”We should have had to empty them or be drowned We are much better without it”

They soon reached the side of the vessel, and cliside to launch the raft, and to get the casks under it The wind, too, if there were any, was off shore, but here it was a perfect cal; they were beyond the influence of the hich breaks even on a weather shore, especially after a gale, although the wind ed, they lost no ti their raft, which they did very successfully, easing it with handspikes; and in a couple of side Their first care was to lash the casks under the bottom

This took so the raft float buoyantly on the very surface of the water

The cargo had, however, to be got on board, consisting of the three chests, which, of course, would bring it down somewhat They lowered one after the other, and lashed them in the positions they had intended

The foremost chest was secured over all by ropes, as that had not to be opened, and was to serve only as a step for their mast; the other two chests were secured by their handles both fore and aft and athwartshi+ps, the lashi+ngs contributing to bind the raft still ht had now broken, and they were in a hurry to get on with their work, but this did not prevent the effectually

They next had to get their stores into the chests; and lastly they stepped and set up theto the halyards, which had been previously rove

They surveyed their hen completed with no little satisfaction, and considered, not without reason, that they ht, in moderate weather, run across Channel, provided the wind should remain anywhere in the southward

They well knew that they ale In the first case, though they need not go back, they could ress; but then there was always the hope of being picked up by an English craft, either a ht, to be sure, be fallen in with by a French hard for their liberty

Should a gale arise, as Jack observed, they would look blue, but they hoped that their raft would even weather that out That it would come to pieces they had no fear; and they believed that they could cling on to it till the sea should again go down

They had put on board a sufficient supply of spare rope to lash themselves to the chests

Jack climbed up for the last ti a look round to see that nothing was left behind

”All right,” he said; ”we may shove off now, Bill You are to be captain, and take the helh to find a breeze It see in the offing, and we shall then spin ht,” said Bill; ”cast off, Jack”

Jack hauled in the rope which had secured the raft to the wreck, and give a hearty shove against it with his oar, he sent the raft gliding off so between the two chests, pulled lustily away

The raft floated even htly than they had expected They had so well noted all the rocks, that they could easily find their way between them, and there was a had been driven in

Their progress was but slow, though they worked aith all theirback to ascertain whether they were observed from the shore No one, however, could be seen on the cliffs above; and people, unless they had discovered the wreck, were not likely at that early hour to come down to the beach

It took theet clear of the rocks When once out on the open sea, they began to breathe more freely They pulled on and on; still, unless they should get the wind, they could not hope toBill wetted his finger and held it up

”There's a breeze,” he cried out; ”hoist the sail, Jack”