orrow."

"And then it may be raining again."

"I think not," said the doctor. "Use your glass a little, and you'll
see that everything ashore is so saturated that we could not go a dozen
yards without being drenched."

"It does look rather wet," said Carey, grudgingly; but he soon
brightened up, and looked on while the doctor got out his gun and
cleaned a few specks of rust from the barrel, while that afternoon
Bostock prepared everything for the launching, getting done in such good
time that, as there were a couple of hours' more daylight, it was
decided to try and get the raft over the side.

It looked cumbersome enough, but there was no difficulty in levering it
along the deck by means of capstan bars, after which the rope running
through the block high up was made fast to one side, and the doctor and
Bostock began to haul: but the effect was not satisfactory, and Bostock
stopped and scratched his head.

"Here, let me help," cried Carey; but the doctor roared at him, and the
boy wrinkled up his brow.

"Well," said the doctor, when, after hauling one side up a little, they
had lowered it again.

"Seems to me, sir," said the old sailor, "that we've got our work cut
out to haul her up and lower her down."

"Yes, we want a couple of men to help," said the doctor.

"And we aren't got 'em," growled Bostock.

"Why don't you haul one side up till the raft's edgewise, and then work
it out through the gangway with the levers till it overbalances and
tumbles in?" said Carey.

"Ah, to be sure, sir," said Bostock, mopping his dripping face; "why
don't we?"

"What, and shake the thing all to pieces with the fall?" said the
doctor.

"Nay, nay, nay, sir; don't you say such a word as that," grumbled
Bostock. "I don't do my work like that. I took lots o' time over her,
didn't I, Master Carey?"

"You did, Bob," said the boy, with a queer cock of one eye.

"Consekens is, she's as strong as can be."

"You think it would hold together then?" said the doctor.

"Sure on it, sir."

"Let's try, then."

The rope was fastened, the capstan bars were seized, and in a few
minutes, as the two men turned, the rope tightened, the raft gradually
rose, and soon after stood up edgewise, resting on two of the corner
tubs, and without the slightest disposition to topple over. Then the
rope was slackened so as to allow enough to act as a painter to moor the
unwieldy framework to the side, levers were seized, and inch by inch i