mast, all destroyed, made a clean sweep of, gone to ten thousand
shivers, with top ropes, iron pulleys, and chains. The Durande had
broken her back; the sea now must break her up piecemeal. In a few days
there would be nothing of her remaining.

It appeared that the engine was scarcely injured by all these ravages--a
remarkable fact, and one which proved its excellence. The captain of the
_Shealtiel_ thought he could affirm that the crank had received no
serious injury. The vessel's masts had given way, but the funnel had
resisted everything. Only the iron guards of the captain's gangway were
twisted; the paddle boxes had suffered, the frames were bruised, but the
paddles had not a float missing. The machinery was intact. Such was the
conviction of the captain of the _Shealtiel_. Imbrancam, the engineer,
who was among the crowd, had the same conviction. The negro, more
intelligent than many of his white companions, was proud of his engines.
He lifted up his arms, opening the ten fingers of his black hands, and
said to Lethierry, as he sat there silent, "Master, the machinery is
alive still!"

The safety of Clubin seeming certain, and the hull of the Durande being
already sacrificed, the engines became the topic of conversation among
the crowd. They took an interest in it as in a living thing. They felt a
delight in praising its good qualities. "That's what I call a well-built
machine," said a French sailor. "Something like a good one," cried a
Guernsey fisherman. "She must have some good stuff in her," said the
captain of the _Shealtiel_, "to come out of that affair with only a few
scratches."

By degrees the machinery of the Durande became the absorbing object of
their thoughts. Opinions were warm for and against. It had its enemies
and its friends. More than one who possessed a good old sailing cutter,
and who hoped to get a share of the business of the Durande, was not
sorry to find that the Douvres rock had disposed of the new invention.
The whispering became louder. The discussion grew noisy, though the
hubbub was evidently a little restrained; and now and then there was a
simultaneous lowering of voices out of respect to Lethierry's death-like
silence.

The result of the colloquy, so obstinately maintained on all sides, was
as follows:--

The engines were the vital part of the vessel. To rescue the Durande was
impossible; but the machinery might still be saved. These engines were
unique. To construct others