. This
gave him an opportunity to examine it thoroughly outside as well as
inside, and to see the whole extent of the damage that had been done.

It has already been said that the damage was serious. Tom's
examination now convinced him that it was in every respect as serious
as he had supposed, if not still more so. Even if he did possess a
hatchet and nails, or a whole box full of tools, he doubted whether it
would be in his power to do anything whatever in the way of repairing
it. No less than three of the lower planks of the bows, down to the
very keel, were beaten in and broken so badly that they seemed actually
crushed and mangled. It must have been a fearful beating, and
pounding, and grinding on the rocks which had caused this. The planks,
though thus broken, still held together; but it seemed to Tom that with
a blow of his fist he could easily beat it all in; and as he looked at
it he could not help wondering how it had happened that the work which
the rocks had thus so nearly effected had not been completely finished.
However, the planks did hold together yet; and now the question was,
Could any thing be done?

In answer to this question, Tom thought of the old sail and the coil of
rope. Already he had conceived the rude outline of a plan whereby the
entrance of the water might be checked. The plan was worth trying, and
he determined to set about it at once, and use up the hours before him
as long as he could, without any further delay. If by any possibility
he could stop that leak, he determined to start off at the next high
tide, that very night, and run the risk. It was a daring, even a
foolhardy thought; but Tom was desperate, and the only idea which he
had was, to escape as soon as possible.

He now made some measurements, after which he went to the old sail, and
cut a piece from the end of it. This he divided into smaller pieces,
each about a yard square. Each of these pieces he folded up in three
folds, so as to make them about a foot wide and eighteen inches long.
Others he folded into six folds, making them about half the size of the
larger pieces. All this took up much time, for he measured and planned
very carefully, and his calculations and measurements had to be done
slowly and cautiously. Returning to the boat with these bits of folded
canvas, he put one of the larger pieces on the inside, against the bow,
right over the broken place. Another large piece was placed carefully
over th