provided themselves with tools, these
treasures would find their use.

There was no want of space in the store-rooms of Granite House, but that
daytime would not allow them to stow away the whole. It would not do
also to forget that the six survivors of the _Speedy's_ crew had landed
on the island, for they were in all probability scoundrels of the
deepest dye, and it was necessary that the colonists should be on their
guard against them. Although the bridges over the Mercy were raised,
the convicts would not be stopped by a river or a stream, and, rendered
desperate, these wretches would be capable of anything.

They would see later what plan it would be best to follow; but in the
meantime it was necessary to mount guard over cases and packages heaped
up near the Chimneys, and thus the settlers employed themselves in turn
during the night.

The morning came, however, without the convicts having attempted any
attack. Master Jup and Top, on guard at the foot of Granite House,
would have quickly given the alarm. The three following days--the 19th,
20th, and 21st of October--were employed in saving everything of value,
or of any use whatever, either from the cargo or rigging of the brig.
At low tide they overhauled the hold--at high tide they stowed away the
rescued articles. A great part of the copper sheathing had been torn
from the hull, which every day sank lower. But before the sand had
swallowed the heavy things which had fallen through the bottom, Ayrton
and Pencroft, diving to the bed of the channel, recovered the chains and
anchors of the brig, the iron of her ballast, and even four guns, which,
floated by means of empty casks, were brought to shore.

It may be seen that the arsenal of the colony had gained by the wreck,
as well as the store-rooms of Granite House. Pencroft, always
enthusiastic in his projects, already spoke of constructing a battery to
command the channel and the mouth of the river. With four guns, he
engaged to prevent any fleet, "however powerful it might be," from
venturing into the waters of Lincoln Island!

In the meantime, when nothing remained of the brig but a useless hulk,
bad weather came on, which soon finished her. Cyrus Harding had
intended to blow her up, so as to collect the remains on the shore, but
a strong gale from the north-east and a heavy sea compelled him to
economise his powder.

In fact, on the night of the 23rd, the hull entirely broke up, and some
of the