“Very well, let’s get to work at once, for I’m eager to see how many more of those dollars can be found,” Vance said with a laugh. “I don’t suppose they’ll do us any good while we’re prisoned here, but it must be mighty pleasant work digging them out.”
CHAPTER VIII.
WRECKING.
As nearly as could be ascertained after the boys were on board the wreck once more, she had not sustained any very serious damage so far as the hull was concerned.
Ned lowered himself down over the port side by means of a rope, and reported that the timbers appeared to be intact.
“I can’t see that a single plank has been started, an’ it wouldn’t be such a terrible job to get her afloat once more.”
“I guess we won’t try anything of that kind yet awhile,” Roy replied with a laugh. “It’s positive that some accident happened to the machinery, and neither Vance nor I could repair it.”
“I thought you said you had been learnin’ how to run her.”
“So we did; but we weren’t so far advanced in the study as to be able to repair a broken engine.”
“Perhaps there isn’t so very much the trouble. I’ve seen boilers in Treat’s sawmill blow out a tube or two, an’ it didn’t require any skill to repair that kind of damage.”
“There must have been something more serious than that happen, otherwise she wouldn’t have stopped so suddenly,” Vance replied. “At all events, we needn’t talk yet awhile of trying to float her. We’ll get the movable property ashore, and tackle your old hulk before doing anything more in the way of wrecking.”