Chapter Three.
An Italian Alliance.
“Now, sir, if you please,” said Shaddy, “I think it’s time to do something to this covering-in. We’ve had fine weather so far, but it’s going to change. What do you say to spreading another canvas over the top?”
“If you think it’s necessary, do it at once.”
“It’s going to rain soon,” said the Italian lad, who was seated by Rob carefully winding up the line so that it might dry.
“And when it do rain out here, sir, it ain’t one of your British mizzles, but regular cats and dogs. It comes down in bucketfuls. And, as you know, the best thing toward being healthy’s keeping a dry skin, which you can’t do in wet clothes.”
Work was commenced at once after the boat had been swabbed clean, and a canvas sheet being unfolded, it was stretched over the ridge pole which covered in a portion of the boat, tightly tied down over the sides, and secured fore and aft.
“There,” said Shaddy when he had finished, the boys and Mr Brazier helping willingly, “if we can keep the wind out we shall be all right now. Nothing like keeping your victuals and powder dry. Not much too soon, sir, eh?”
Martin Brazier and his companion had been too busy to notice the change that had come over the sky; but now they looked up to see that the sun was covered by a dull haze, which rapidly grew more dense. The heat that had prevailed for many days, during which they had fought their way slowly up the great river, passed rapidly away, and Rob suggested that rain would begin to fall soon.
“Not yet, my lad. These are not rain-clouds,” said Shaddy; “that’s only dust.”