ause
there's a big leak in her somewhere, and I don't like to break her up in
case we think of a way of floating her so as to get away from here."

"What? Who wants to get away from here, sir? Orders was to occupy this
here rock, and of course you hold it till the skipper comes back and
takes us off."

"Yes; but in case our provisions fail?"

"Tchah! ketch more fish, sir. There's plenty, aren't there?"

"Yes; as much as we can use."

"And any 'mount o' water?"

"Yes."

"And the only thing you want is wood for cooking?"

"Yes."

"Then that boat, which seems to ha' been sent o' purpose, has to be got
ashore somehow to be broke up. Now, if you'll take my advice you'll
just go down to the rocks there and think that job out. I can't help
you much, sir, 'cause here I am on my beam-ends. Go and think it out,
lad, and then come and tell me."

"Strake's right," said the lieutenant, who had been lying in the shade
outside the hut. "Captain Belton will either be back himself or send
help before long. You must hold the place till he comes."

Those words were comfortable to Sydney. They were like definite orders
from his superiors, and he could obey them with more satisfaction to
himself than any he thought out for himself. So he went down to the
pier, meeting Roylance on his way, who had just been his rounds, and had
a few words with the men on duty by the upper and lower guns, and at the
flagstaff.

"My orders are to go and see to getting the wreck ashore for firewood,
Roylance."

"Orders?" said the midshipman, laughing. "Well, it does seem a pity
after the trouble we took."

"And risk," interpolated Syd.

"To get her moored here to be of no use."

"Come, and let's see what can be done."

The two youths descended the rope-ladder beneath the lower gun, and
spent some time in examining the vessel, but were compelled to give up
in despair. She was securely moored so that they could easily get on to
the water-washed decks, where there were a couple of fixed pumps, but
these had been tried again and again; and, as the men said, it was like
trying to pump the Atlantic dry to go on toiling at a task where the
water flowed in as fast as it was drawn out.

"There's no getting at the leak even if we knew where it was," said
Roylance.

"I think the same," said Syd, "so we may as well get all the wood out of
her we can, and lay it on the rocks to dry."

This task was begun, and for two days the men work