"Bilged?"
"I think not. There is no swell within the reef, and she lies on sand."
"We might have spared ourselves the trouble, Leach, of culling these cursed spars, as if they had been so many toothpicks."
"That we might, sir; for they will not now serve as oven-wood, for want of the oven."
"A damnable category, Mr. Effingham! I'm glad you are safe, sir; and you, too, my dear young lady--God bless you!--God bless you!--It were better the whole line should be in their power than one like you!"
The old seaman's eyes filled as he shook Eve by the hand, and for a moment he forgot the ship.
"Mr. Leach?"
"Sir."
"Let the people have their breakfasts, and bear a hand about it. We are likely to have a busy morning, sir. Lift the kedge, too, and let us drift down towards these gentry, and take a look at them. We have both wind and current with us now, and shall make quick work of it."
The kedge was raised, the sails were all set, and, with the two launches lashed together, the whole line of boats and spars began to set to the southward at a rate that would bring them up with the inlet in about two hours.