"Take the oars."
Dick swung the oars back and Carl laid hold of them. There was a mast and a furled sail in the bottom of the boat. With infinite difficulty, Dick got the mast over the side and made it fast to the stern by twenty feet of cable.
This weight, dragging behind, served to steady the lightly-weighted boat and rendered it easier for the boys to keep her clear of the swamping waves.
After that, Dick again took the oars and Carl continued his baling with more success.
"Id vas gedding vorse insteadt oof pedder," cried Carl, "der gale, I mean."
"That's a fact, matey," answered Dick, "but we're making better weather of it."
"Oof ve keep der poat on dop oof der vater ondil der shtorm iss ofer, ve vill be like some shipwrecked fellers und vill shdarve to deat'."
"We'll not starve to death. We can put up the sail and get to the nearest land. We're not such a long way from land, Carl, and this gale is blowing us toward the southern part of Florida."
"Oof ve hit Florida too kevick, den ve ged pusted oop."
"It will be a day or two before we get there."