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The sides of the between-decks were clapboarded, the knees and stanchions of iron, and the latter made to unship. The crew said she was as tight as a drum, and a fine sea boat, her only fault being, that of most fast ships, that she was wet, forward. When she was going, as she sometimes would, eight or nine knots on a wind, there would not be a dry spot forward of the gangway.
It is days to Galveston, westward, and between lies a maze of interlocking channels, lakes and bayous, where boats once hid and may hide again. Once we unship our flag mast, and we shall lie so saucy and close that behind a bank of rushes we never would be seen. And we do not burn coal, and so make no smoke. Here is my chosen hiding ground. In short, madam, you are in my power!"
You may talk until you unship your jaw, d'ye see, but you will never talk a foul wind into a fair one. Pass over the pouch and the tinder-box, and maybe our friend here will take a turn at my paddle." All night they toiled up the great river, straining every nerve to place themselves beyond the reach of pursuit.
"And now we must either drop your craft astern or hoist her up, for we must continue the chase of yonder piratical fleet," said the captain. "I doubt very much whether we shall be able to tow her without the risk of tearing out her bows," said Lord Reginald, "it will be safer to hoist her up, though to do so we must first unship her outriggers.
"Pawl the capstan, stopper the cable, and unship the bars!" added the executive officers, all of which was done, and duly reported. "Stations for loosing topsails!" which were shaken out by the ordinary routine, sheeted home, and hoisted up. "Forecastlemen, loose the head sails! After-guard, clear away the spanker! Man the capstan bars, ship and swifter them! Heave around!"
I begun to think I'd never get her empty, but I did, finally. I pumped her dry. Then I screwed the cap on again and went home, taking Allie's bilge-pump with me, for I couldn't stop to unship the hose. The tide was coming in fast. "At nine o'clock that night I was in my skiff, rowing off to where my power-boat laid in deep water back of the bar.
But I wasn't away more than ten minutes, and when I got back to the hotel "Benny" was already fuming at the door. "Where have you been to?" he asked in a voice unlike his own the voice of a man who knows "what's what" and will see that he gets it. "Why weren't you with the car?" "Been to the telegraph office," said I quietly, for no bluster is going to unship me not much.
The steamer generally remains for two or three hours at Halifax to coal, and unship a portion of her cargo, and there is a very natural desire on the part of the passengers to leave what to many is at best a floating prison, and set foot on firm ground, even for an hour.
He was watching a slingload of shingles hovering high over the hatch, and the instant it was lowered he intended to leap upon it, unship the cargo hook, hang the spare cargo net on it and whistle to the winchman to hoist away for another slingload. He controlled his temper and said: "I'm doing the best I can, sir. That winchman doesn't have to wait on us a second, sir.
Then, Curwen, we'll slip in at night at a high tide, watching for our opportunity and a dark sky; we'll unship the cargo, and then you shall take command of her and carry her off to the East Coast and wait there, till I am able to send you word or join you. It will only be a few hours danger for the men, after all."
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