Props were knocked out, the little ship swerved and swayed for a moment, then gently commenced her descent, moving on without a hitch, and finally taking the water just like the perfect duck she was unanimously declared to be. Of course they gave her three times three cheers as she slid into the water, with another little cheer for luck; then everybody crowded round Fred Arundel, the worthy shipbuilder, and shook hands with him in the most approved style; after which all retired to a sumptuous breakfast, quaffing the cocoa-nut of peace, as Frank called it, and wishing jolly good luck to the Island Queen.
"I think I can eat to-day," said Fred, with a soft sigh of satisfaction.
"Well, you ought, Fred," said Frank, "for you are positively getting thin."
They had not considered yet what they were going to do with their yacht, or where they should venture to sail to. They were possessed of no chart of the seas around here, but as near as Fred could judge they must be fully a thousand miles from either Auckland or Fiji. Would it or would it not be dangerous to make so long a journey in so small and frail a craft? All agreed, anyhow, that an attempt should be made to rescue the ten men who were still held prisoners, if not even made slaves of, in the cannibal islands from which the two savages had arrived.
Every preparation for the voyage was set about, therefore, without any loss of time.
Luckily they had plenty of spare canvas that had been found in the wreck, so the rigging, &c., of the Island Queen was perfected in a few days' time.
Then the first trial trip was made. The boat was sailed and manoeuvred all round the bay at first. Then she was towed with a boat ahead through the gap. It would have been risking too much to have sailed through, for at any moment a sea might have lifted her and carried her against the sharp coral rocks, after which there would have been no more Island Queen.
Once away out on the billowy breast of the blue ocean, all sail was set, and the craft was tried in every manner that could occur to a thorough seaman, and behaved herself in everything as a beauty.
"She's a beauty, Fred, a beauty," Frank said, over and over again, "and does you ample credit."
"Does us, you mean."