Blow the Man Down - A Romance of the Coast

They were silent, then there sounded the splash of water and they came,

muttering. They had recognized the ring of desperate resolve in his

command.

Mayo, when he heard their stertorous breathing close at hand, groped

for them and shoved tools into their clutch. He retained the hammer and

chisel for himself.

"That's about all I need you for just now--for tool-racks," he growled.

"Make sure you don't drop those."

The upturned schooner rolled sluggishly, and every now and then the

water swashed across her cabin with extra impetus, making footing

insecure.

"If I tumble down I'll have to drop 'em," whimpered Oolph.

"Then don't come up. Drowning will be an easier death for you," declared

the captain, menacingly. He was sounding the bulkhead with his hammer.

The tapping quickly showed him where the upright beams were located on

the other side of the sheathing. In his own mind he was not as sanguine

as his activity might have indicated. It was blind experiment--he

could not estimate the obstacles which were ahead of him. But he did

understand, well enough, that if they were to escape they must do so

through the bottom of the vessel amidship; there, wallowing though she

was, there might be some freeboard. He had seen vessels floating bottom

up. Usually a section of the keel and a portion of the garboard streaks

were in sight above the sea. But there could be no escape through the

bottom of the craft above them where they stood in the cabin. He knew

that the counter and buttock must be well under water.

"Have you a full cargo belowdecks?" he asked.

"No," stated Captain Candage, hinting by his tone that he wondered what

difference that would make to them in the straits in which they were

placed.

Mayo felt a bit of fresh courage. He had been afraid that the Polly's

hold would be found to be stuffed full of lumber. His rising spirits

prompted a little sarcasm.

"How did it ever happen that you didn't plug the trap you set for us?"

"Couldn't get but two-thirds cargo below because the lumber was sawed so

long. Made it up by extra deck-lo'd."

"Yes, piled it all on deck so as to make her top-heavy--so as to be sure

of catching us," suggested Mayo, beginning to work his hammer and chisel

on the sheathing.

"'Tain't no such thing!" expostulated Captain Candage, missing the

irony. "Them shingles and laths is packet freight, and I couldn't put

'em below because I've got to deliver 'em this side of New York. And you

don't expect me to overhaul a whole decklo'd so as to--"