"All that you bring will be of use," said I; "but I fear that Jack's dogs will do us more harm than good."
"Not at all," said Jack, "for they can help us to hunt when we get to land."
"Well said, Jack. And now let us see what we can do that will aid us to get there."
We then took the casks that we had found, and Ernest and I soon cut them in half. With these tubs we made a kind of raft, though it was no slight task. The tubs, in fact, were a fleet of eight small round boats, made so fast to some planks that no one of them could float from the rest. The next thing to be done was to launch the raft. This we at length did, and when the boys saw it slide down the side of the ship and float on the sea, they gave a loud shout, and each one tried who should be the first to get on it. I made it fast to the ship, and there left it.
I then told my wife to change her dress for that of one of the crew which she had found, as her skirts would have got in her way when she had to climb. She did not at first like this, but did so as soon as she saw the truth of what I told her.
At last, when all was done, we went to bed, and slept as sound as if we had been on land.
CHAPTER II.
WE were all up at the break of day, and knelt down to thank God that He had kept us from harm through the night.
We then put all the things on the raft, and ten live hens and two cocks were put in one of the tubs. Some ducks and geese we let go, in the hope that they would swim to the shore; and a pair of doves were set free, as they could fly to the land.