lifted out by derricks and deposited in the boats and on the rafts, and
so carried ashore.

This unloading occupied a considerable amount of time, and when at
length Cavendish considered the two vessels sufficiently lightened, the
tide was almost at high-water mark.

The boats and rafts were then taken back to the ships, the men climbed
on board, the windlasses and capstans were again manned, and, the
vessels being considerably lightened, and so once more well afloat, were
again hauled in until their keels touched bottom.

The captain considered that they were now far enough up the beach, as
the receding tide would leave them high and dry.

Tackles were next fastened to the masts above the topsail-yards, and
fastened to convenient trees, and all was in readiness to heave the
vessels down as the tide left them.

Roger and Harry had been busy with the rest of the crew, and, as they
worked, Roger had found time to inform his friend of the peculiar
occurrence which he and Martin had witnessed, and he asked Harry his
opinion of it.

"Well," said Harry, "it would seem to me to denote the presence of
savages near us. That there are hostile natives in this part of the
island we know from past experience. Have you informed the skipper?"

"Yes," replied Roger, "I told him what I had seen; but it seemed to me
rather as if he put the circumstance down to my imagination and
Martin's. Nevertheless he thanked me for the information, and promised
to be on the lookout."

"Well," said Harry, "it strikes me as rather a foolish thing to leave
the ships' guns scattered about the beach as they are at present. If we
should be attacked we could never use them, pointing as they are in all
directions; we could not fire without danger of hitting one another. It
would be a good thing, I think, if the captain, instead of leaving the
weapons strewed about the beach as at present, were to arrange them in a
circle round the place where we are working on the two vessels, and get
them loaded in readiness, and we should then be prepared to repel an
attack if it came."

"A very good idea, Harry," exclaimed Roger; "you always seem to be
prepared with good schemes. Go and tell the captain, and see what he
says."

Harry at once ran off and told Cavendish what Roger and he thought of
the matter.

"You two lads," said Cavendish, "seem ever to be thinking of attacks by
natives. Yet your scheme, young man, is a good one, and I will have it