This laugh of his, so droll and silent, never failed to make everybody else laugh.
“Down again, Johnnie?” a man would say.
“Down again,” Johnnie would reply, with his head in the air, and no more eye visible than a piggie’s.
But the work went merrily on, and in time the masts were stepped.
Then the rigging had to be got off the derelict, another difficult task.
This was shipped at last. Spars were now formed and fitted as booms.
Then sails had to be made and bent. Luckily there was a good deal of canvas on board, besides spare ropes and sheets, so that the sails were not long in being completed.
The Zingara now looked wonderfully well, and Antonio took a delight in getting everything into good working order. Although there was no need to do so, he exercised the men every day at setting and taking in sails.
This, at all events, had the effect of keeping the crew active, and holding sickness at bay.
But the weeds and shells had once more got the upper hand, and had taken entire possession of the water-line and a band of the hull some three feet wide. Below this all was copper, and to this only some mussels clung.