The carpenter gave a sharp look round, and then said in a low confidential tone—
“A deal too heavy, sir, for us to lift her. The only way to do is to make her lift herself.”
“How?”
“Taking out of her everything that can be moved; guns first, then shot and shell, and laying them overboard outside upon the rocks, ready for hoisting in again at low water when she’s afloat. Next thing I should do would be to find out whether she’s got any holes in her, and if she hasn’t—and I don’t believe she has, for there’s been no storm to bump her on the rocks—then I shall pump her dry, have her fires got up, and at high water full steam ahead, and if she don’t come off then I’m a double Dutchman.”
“But what about the screw?”
“Them as hides can find, sir, which means them as tie can untie. I think we can get her off, sir, if we put our backs into it. What say you?”
“Get her off?” cried Fitz. “Of course we will!”