First of all he had cleared away the mud that had covered the taffrail of the schooner, and emptied her of water; then he had battened down the hatches so that at the next rising tide no water should enter her; and finally he had rigged the tackle-blocks so as to hoist up the schooner to an erect position by means of the united efforts of all that could be mustered. But the schooner, as she now lay, could not be raised by such means. It was necessary to have additional help, and that help was to be found in the rising tide. When the water should rise so as to be deep enough for the schooner to float in, the task of pulling her up to an erect position would be comparatively easy.
Captain Pratt’s labors were energetically performed, and finally, just as he had completed his tackle arrangements, the tide began to flow around the schooner.
In another hour the water was high around her; still another, and the tide was at its fullest height, and Captain Pratt began to look anxiously for the boys.
Meanwhile the boys on the hill had all heard of the proposed enterprise, and, from the largest to the smallest, were filled with intense excitement. They chafed impatiently against the restraints of the school, and waited with extreme difficulty for the closing hour. At last it came; and then, with loud shouts, and screams, and laughter, the whole school set off at a run for the scene of action, which they reached just as Captain Pratt began to feel impatient.
“Hooray!” shouted the gallant captain, as he saw them pouring down towards the wharf. “Here you are,—and lots of you, too. You’re just in time, too. The tide’s up, the tackle is rigged, and all we’ve got to do now is to go to work.”
The boys looked hastily around, and though they could not see all that had been done, yet they could comprehend the purpose of the tackle which they saw before them, and had no doubt whatever that the undertaking would be perfectly successful.
“Now, boys,” said Captain Pratt, “you can’t all bear a hand, but you small boys’ll have to be satisfied with lookin on. I’ll choose the biggest to help me, and show you where you’ve got to pull.”
Saying this, he selected from among the boys: Bruce, Arthur, Bart, Tom, Phil, Jiggins, Muckle, Sammy Ram Ram, Johnny Blue, Billymack, Bogud, and Pat, and these he stationed at the tackle which was attached to the foremast, while he himself and his two men went to the lines which were attached to the mainmast.
“Now, boys,” said he, “it’s no use to pull every which way. Pull together as I give the word. Mind—it’s a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull all together. I’ll sing, and you pull at the chorus—-that’s the way.”
Saying this, Captain Pratt burst forth with a rude song, which was,
"Up she rises;
Hi ho, cheerly, men!
Heave her up;
Hi ho, cheerly, men!
All together;
Hi ho, cheerly, men!
Heave with a will;
Hi ho, cheerly, men!”