"Yes, I understand all that," replied Lawry. "If there had been no iron in the Woodville she would not have gone down."
"The iron in her engines is seven or eight times as heavy as the same bulk of water. Its weight carried the hull down with it."
"Then we must put down empty casks enough to float the engine," added Lawry.
"No; the woodwork of the hull will hold up a portion of the weight of the engine, and we must furnish buoyancy enough to sustain the rest of it."
"It will not take a great many casks, then—will it?"
"Not a great many; but the difficulty is to get them down to the bottom, and fasten them to the hull."
"I can do that," replied Lawry confidently.
Ethan approved the method, and promised to ascertain what weight each of the casks would sustain in the water, when he had obtained their dimensions. The ferry-boat reached the other side of the lake, and the young men went to see Mr. Nelson, the owner of the casks. He did not wish to use the hogsheads till October, and was willing they should be employed for the purpose indicated, if Lawry would give him security for their safe return.
"Mr. Sherwood will do that for you, Lawry," said Ethan.
"That's a good name," added the oil speculator. "If he will guarantee the safe return of the casks, that is all I ask. I wonder if Mr. Sherwood don't want some shares in the Meteor Oil Company."