soon as the rebels were all in the hold, they separated into three
parties again, as they had been in the steerage. Little, with his
lantern, went forward, where he was soon joined by the rest of the
runaways; Hyde and his companions went aft; and Raymond's party
remained near the main scuttle. The hold was divided into store-rooms,
forward and aft, while the space amidships was devoted to the stowage
of boxes, barrels, water casks, and other articles. The water tanks
were near the heel of the foremast, where Howe and his party had
located themselves. They contained the entire supply of the ship, while
she was going from port to port, or lying in harbor. They had been
fitted up under the direction of Mr. Lowington. The water was drawn
from them by means of a pump in the kitchen, the pipe of which could be
adjusted to either of them with screw connections.

"We must do the job quick, and get out of this place, or we may be
fastened down here, as we were in the steerage," said Little, in a low
tone, though he need not have troubled himself to use this precaution,
for the dashing of the sea against the side of the vessel made so much
noise, that those who were twenty feet distance could not have heard
him.

"Are you sure we are not burning our own fingers?" asked Ibbotson. "My
experience in the Josephine, when we were short of water, taught me
what it was to be without it, especially when you have to feed on salt
horse and hard bread."

"That's so," added Spencer.

"Can't we save some for ourselves?" inquired Wilton.

"What's the use? We shall return to Havre as soon as the officers find
that the water tanks are empty," added Little.

"But why not save some?" persisted Wilton. "There are lots of bottles
on the ballast, and a tunnel on the vinegar barrel. Hurry up, and fill
a bottle for each fellow."

A dozen of the rebels rushed aft, and procured the bottles, while
Little started the faucets which were used in drawing off the water,
when it was necessary to clean out the tanks, or for use when the pump
above was out of order. This was the precious scheme by which the
intense rebels intended to compel the principal to return to port
immediately. There could be no doubt that it would be an effectual one,
for with no fresh water the ship could not remain a single day at sea
without causing great discomfort, if not actual suffering, to those on
board. This happy expedient had been devised by Little, and it was
diaboli