"No difficulty, particularly, but I wish we could have paper, or something like it. I want to make cartridges."
"I thought you had all that arranged for?"
"So I did, but it takes me a quarter of a minute to load, and I must do better than that."
He mused a while. "We could make paper, and I think we have the facilities at hand for doing it; but it will take quite a time to arrange for it. Aside from that I do not, at this moment, know of anything which will be a fair substitute."
He was chagrined at this failure. But, after all, four shots a minute were not so bad. The perfection of the guns must await their return.
Now, let us go down to the marine works, on the shore below the Cataract. Here were the three vessels lined up side by side, and also the after part of the lifeboat. The shed, which was the boathouse, had nearly all their tools, and besides the bench, was a forge and the primitive blower which the Professor and George had made and set up. Wood, parts of planks, thin boards, of all sorts and description, were scattered about. It looked business-like, and Harry was intensely proud of it.
The sail was completed, and taken down to be bent on the cable. The jib had already been installed in place, and when the sails were hoisted and they walked out from the shore and glanced back to get a full view, the entire Naval Bureau congratulated itself on the magnificent appearance of the fleet, and particularly of the new creation in maritime architecture.
It is not out of place to say that the Professor and George both showered the highest compliments on Harry, for he deserved it. But the officials of the establishment were not the only ones to admire the fine sight. Angel came, and he took it in. It was the finest climbing he had enjoyed in many a day. The Professor took off his hat. "I propose three cheers for our ship."
They were given, and with each cheer the hats circled their heads. This was a new code of procedure to Angel. He couldn't understand it. Without waiting for explanations, he shot down the mast, and landed on shore. It was the most comical proceeding they had ever witnessed on his part, and when he looked at the group, and then at the ship, he said as plainly as though he had uttered it: "What does all this mean?"
When the laughter was over, George proposed three cheers for Angel. The hats came off and the cheers were given. Then the same smile which he had so well learned illuminated his projecting face, and he swung his long arm around as he had seen it done, and another step had been taken in his education.