“Good, sir, good! Ah! excuse me, sir, but your head is screwed on with the face to the front.”
The kindly old captain laughed, then both went on deck.
All hands were now called, and work was commenced at once.
The skipper first, however, made his men a little speech, explaining the discoveries they had made below, and his intentions of trying to beach the sinking derelict on some island in the track of trading ships.
After this the men set to work with a will, cheering each other with chaffing, and laughing, and talk, and even with snatches of song.
In a very short time the wreck was cleared away, all that was useful being retained, and mere lumber bundled overboard to amuse the sharks.
The mainmast had gone, but not quite by the board, so that it was easy to rig a jury, and set thereon a huge trysail. With her square sails on the fore, and jibs set, and the wind being now on the quarter, the Peaceful, for that was her name, which must have been given by way of a grim joke, seemed to feel herself once more, and fancy herself also, lifting proudly to every wave, and coming down again with a saucy plunge that sent the spray flying inboard over the bows.
On the heaving of the log, it was found that she was making the highly respectable progress of seven knots an hour.
This was increased to eight after the pumps had been rigged and the water lowered in the hold.
This pumping, it was found ere long, was work that must be kept up for over two hours in every watch, else the Peaceful would soon follow the example of the Boo-boo-boo, and sink to rise no more.