"I want you boys to know that I ain't afraid of Eliakim Doak, when it's only my own skin that's to be hurt, nor of any four men like him," Mr. Rowe said as he continued to throw up the sand. "It's only 'cause I'm afraid he may contrive to keep us on edge till the tide comes up an' puts things in bad shape. If we can get these 'ere timbers down shipshape, before he pulls in, I'll be ready to give him a full dose. Jump to it, lads, for every shovelful counts jest now!"
There was little need to urge the boys to further exertions; they could understand full well how important it was, unless they were willing to lose what had already been done, to push the work to the utmost, and never for a single instant did they even look seaward, although both were curious to know how rapidly the enemy was approaching.
It was fortunate for Uncle Ben's "family" that Captain Doak did not take it into his head to leave Southport any earlier in the day, for he was nearly half a mile from the cove when, with a cry of triumph, Mr. Rowe laid the last timber in place, as he said grimly:
"Now let the old heathen come; we're ready for him," and he literally scraped the perspiration from his face.
"It'll be quite a spell yet before he gets here," and Tom straightened himself slowly, as if with difficulty after remaining in a bent position so long. "What I'm keen to know is, how much better off we are after puttin' these logs down? The schooner lays jest as she did before."
"Ay, lad, an' lucky for you she didn't heel over while we were workin' so far under the hull. I'll admit that it don't look now as if we'd done very much for her comfort; but after the tide comes up, an' the water swashes back an' forth for a spell, you'll see her lay over like a tired man, an' unless I'm way out of my reckonin', she'll be restin' the biggest part of her weight on the logs by mornin'. Then it's only a matter of workin' the other side like this. After that's been done, we know for a fact that she can't settle any further inter the sand, an' it'll only need a couple of smooth planks with a few wedges, to slide her off when we're ready."
"I hope it'll work; but I can't figger out how," Sam said in perplexity, and before Mr. Rowe's mirth, which had been aroused by the expression on the boy's face, was abated, Captain Doak ran his dory up on the shore within a dozen yards of where the "Sally D." lay.
"What's goin' on here?" he cried angrily, and as if it surprised him to see any one at work near the schooner.
"We're tryin' to stop the old hooker from buryin' herself in the sand," Mr. Rowe replied without any show of anger; but Tom noted with no little satisfaction that the former "crew" of the "Sally" held his shovel firmly in his right hand, as if thinking it might be needed for a weapon.
"What right have you to be foolin' 'round her?" and Captain Doak rose to his feet threateningly, whereupon Mr. Rowe stepped a few paces nearer the bow of the vessel to where he could clamber on board without difficulty.