"I don't know—perhaps a hundred weight," I answered, comparing it with a barrel of flour, which was my standard.
"Not less than six hundred," said he. "The barge will not carry it with three of you besides; and if it would, you could not load it."
"I can get it over, I know," I replied, confidently, and rather pleased to have a difficult problem to solve.
"Very well. The ammunition is in the blue box; and that will be a good load for the barge."
"I will agree to get them both over here," I replied; and, jumping upon the wagon, I drove down to the landing.
While I was securing the horses, the two soldiers put the barge into the water. I was thinking all the time of the problem of transporting the gun and ammunition. I was quite sure that I could do the job, and I had my plan ready. I took a couple of axes from the shanty at the landing, and we embarked. One of the soldiers rowed the boat.
"What are you going to do with the axes, Phil?" asked the soldier who was seated in the bow.
"I thought we might want them, and so I brought them along," I replied, not caring to discuss my plan with him.
"How big is the gun we are to bring?"
"Mr. Gracewood says it weighs about six hundred."