, so that it should not be parted through
the arrow catching in the weed; then he came over to me, and proposed
that we should set-to at once to make a heavier arrow, suggesting that it
had been lack of weight in the missile which had caused it to fall short.
At that, I felt once more hopeful, and turned-to at once to prepare a new
arrow; the bo'sun doing likewise; though in his case he intended to make
a lighter one than that which had failed; for, as he put it, though the
heavier one fell short, yet might the lighter succeed, and if neither,
then we could only suppose that the bow lacked power to carry the line,
and in that case, we should have to try some other method.

Now, in about two hours, I had made my arrow, the bo'sun having finished
his a little earlier, and so (the men having hauled in all the line and
flaked it down ready) we prepared to make another attempt to cast it
over the hulk. Yet, a second time we failed, and by so much that it
seemed hopeless to think of success; but, for all that it appeared
useless, the bo'sun insisted on making a last try with the light arrow,
and, presently, when we had gotten the line ready again, we loosed upon
the wreck; but in this case so lamentable was our failure, that I cried
out to the bo'sun to set the useless thing upon the fire and burn it;
for I was sorely irked by its failure, and could scarce abide to speak
civilly of it.

Now the bo'sun, perceiving how I felt, sung out that we would cease
troubling about the hulk for the present, and go down all of us to gather
reeds and weed for the fire; for it was drawing nigh to evening. And this
we did, though all in a disconsolate condition of mind; for we had seemed
so near to success, and now it appeared to be further than ever from us.
And so, in a while, having brought up a sufficiency of fuel, the bo'sun
sent two of the men down to one of the ledges which overhung the sea, and
bade them see whether they could not secure a fish for our supper. Then,
taking our places about the fire, we fell-to upon a discussion as to how
we should come at the people in the hulk.

Now, for a while there came no suggestion worthy of notice, until at last
there occurred to me a notable idea, and I called out suddenly that we
should make a small fire balloon, and float off the line to them by such
means. At that, the men about the fire were silent a moment; for the idea
was new to them, and moreover they needed to comprehend just what I