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The smoke had disappeared to the northward. It was a dead calm. They had a drink from the water-breaker, and I drank too. Afterwards they made a great business of spreading the boat-sail over the gunwales. Would I keep a look-out? They crept under, out of my sight, thank God! I felt weary, weary, done up, as if I hadn't had one hour's sleep since the day I was born.
All they think of, while at their scanty meal, is to get through with it as speedily as possible, and away from the scene of their disaster. The breakfast over, the tent is taken down, the boat-sail folded into the most portable form, with mast, oars, and everything made ready for overland transport.
Where they are now there is no difficulty about fire, fuel being plentiful all about. And while Caesar is preparing the repast, the others transform the boat-sail into a tent, by setting up the oars, trestle-fashion, and resting the mast on them as a ridge-pole.
There was a hen-coop with some chickens in it, and though they were drowned, they were very acceptable; there were two boarding-pikes, a boat-sail, and several spars and bits of rope, which had been lying in the boats or on the booms. These were all treasures, and, collecting them, we carried them up to our ledge.
No sign of a boat-sail?" "Nothing the size of a pocket handkerchief, yer honor." "Well, we must give up the search for the present and start for the Siberian shore. But I give you my word, Bob, I shall not give up this hunt for many a week." The wind fell light, and the Dart did not make more than three knots an hour during that afternoon. The strange misty appearance still hung over the water.
The top of it was covered with a large boat-sail, with the arms of the original Cantons and Swiss mottoes on it; in a wreath of evergreen, the arms of the other Cantons; in the middle of it, in token of the twenty-two Cantons, a white cross upon red ground; above all, the flag of the Confederacy spread to the Föhn.
"I would not desert them if I had to remain a week or a month more," answered the captain, ordering two of his crew to accompany him, and to bring a boat-sail with two spars. "It's some miles from here, sir," observed Hixon. "Never mind; if it were ten miles we will bring your sick captain with us," was the reply.
"Well," says Captain Gancy, after an inspection of the untenanted building, "it'll serve us a turn or two, whoever may have built it. The roof appears to be all tight and sound, so we needn't be at the bother of turning the boat-sail into a tent this time." A fire is kindled inside the hut, and all gather round it, the night being chilly cold.
"It isn't," I said, opening my eyes and looking from under the boat-sail that made our tent, and seeing the stars burning brightly. "I neb see such dreffle man," whispered Pomp, for fear of rousing my father. "Get late. Sun get up soon 'fore we get dah. Mass' Morgan an' Pomp fader gone down to de boat, and carry big bag somefin to eat.
"Look, Jack, and tell me what you think!" he exclaimed. "I can see it!" cried the latter, after a lengthened search. "I agree with you it must be a boat-sail; anyway, it's too distant to be a bird's wing. It must be many miles off." "Let's make haste and descend!" cried our hero. "My chest, where the fellow struck me, is getting stiff up here in this rare air." Most haste less speed.
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