uch the safest, I think," said I. "But let us both go for'ard and see
what is the exact state of affairs there. And what is the state of the
hawser? Ah, still quite taut!" as I tested its tension with my foot.

Arrived upon the forecastle we found both anchors stowed inboard and the
cables below; but, all hands being called, including the _Shark's_, we
made short work of the business, for while one gang went below and
cleared away the cable, another roused it up on deck and rove it through
the hawse-pipe, ready for bending, and a third got the anchor outboard.
Then, while Jones, the _Shark's_ boatswain's mate, and his party bent
the cable and got everything ready for letting go, in case of need,
Carter's men climbed into the rigging, and, beginning at the topgallant-
sails, loosed all the square canvas, overhauled the gear, and saw
everything clear for sheeting home and hoisting away. To set the canvas
and trim the yards aback was now the work of but a few minutes, and it
was soon done, with the immediate result that the ship, from having a
slight list to starboard, came upright, with just the slightest possible
tendency to heel to port.

"Now, Mr Carter," said I, "the ship's bilge is no longer bearing upon
the sand. I think, therefore, that if I were you I would send all hands
to the windlass, and let them endeavour to get another pawl or two.
That canvas is doing good work up there, and it may be that if we helped
it a bit with a pull on the hawser she would come off."

"Ay," agreed Carter; "so she might, and we'll try it. Man the windlass,
lads, and see if you can move her at all. Half an hour's work now may
get the ship afloat, and so save ye a good many hours breakin' out cargo
to-morrow."

"Ay, ay, sir!" answered the men, cheerfully enough, considering that
they had been awakened out of a sound sleep and dragged out of their
warm bunks to come up and work in the chill, pestilential fog after
having worked hard all day. "Tail on to the handles, my bullies, tail
on and heave. Heave, and raise the dead!" shouted the man Mike, who had
been one of the lucky five to escape capture by the savages.

They got their first pawl easily enough, then another, and another, by
which time the hawser was once more as taut as a bar. But, as I lightly
rested my foot upon it, to test its tautness, I felt it very gradually
slackening, which meant one of two things, either that the kedge was
coming home--which I thought im