“Guess Archi. has fallen down on this job,” Jack said after some five minutes had clasped.
“Looks like it.”
“What’s next then?”
“Have to get another barrel, I guess.”
“I’m going down and have a look first,” and Jack disappeared over the side of the boat.
Bob waited until he was beginning to be anxious before Jack reappeared.
“Rudder’s caught between two rocks,” he said as soon as he could speak. “That’s what’s holding her. She must have gone down kinder sideways and then righted a bit. Anyhow the rudder is pinched so that I couldn’t budge it.”
“Are the rocks big?”
“Too big to move, I’m afraid, but we’ll try it together.”
But their united strength was not enough to accomplish the task. The rudder of the Sprite had settled neatly into a crevice between two rocks and was there held fast and, although they pulled with all their might, they were unable to budge it.