g."

"Yes, yes," cried the Count impatiently, "but we have tried everything,
and it is impossible to get at the leak."

"Hah! Tried everything, have you, sir?"

"Yes, yes," cried the Count. "Some of my brave fellows have been
half-drowned in diving, trying to plug from inside, using yards to force
bags of oakum into the holes."

"Yes," said the skipper. "The ball went right through, I suppose?"

"Yes, yes," cried the Count, and Rodd noted that he was having hard work
to master his impatience and annoyance at the skipper's annoyingly
deliberate treatment of their urgent needs.

"So I suppose," said the skipper coolly, "but mebbe you haven't done
quite all; leastwise I should like to try my little plan, and if it
don't answer, why, you won't be any worse off than you are now; and when
I give it up as a bad job, why, you will have to take to your boats and
we shall have to find room for you aboard the schooner. Now then,
please, you will just order two more men at that pump, and four more
ready to take their places so as to keep on pumping hard."

"Yes, yes," cried the Count eagerly. "What next?"

"Order up what spare sails you've got from the store-room, and a few
coils of new line."

The Count gave his orders quickly, and his men went off to carry them
out.

"Good," said the skipper coolly. "That's smart."

"What next?" cried the Count.

"Well, sir, as quickly as I can, I want to do something to lighten the
ship."

"No; I must protest!" cried the Count excitedly. "You are going to
throw the guns overboard?"

"Humph!" grunted the captain. "Who said so? I didn't. Nay, that'd be
a pity. I wouldn't do that till the very last."

"Ah!" sighed the Count, as if deeply relieved.

"Well, the next thing is, sir, just you leave me and my men alone and
let yours look on till I want their help."

The Count was silent, and all looked on whilst in obedience to the
skipper's orders the English sailors, led by the carpenter, set busily
to work, seized upon the new spare sails that were brought up on deck,
and cast loose the coils of fresh hemp line that were placed ready.
Then with the skipper putting in a word here and there, resulting in the
lines being attached to the corners of the largest square-sail, these
latter were seized by a couple of the men, who dragged the sail forward
as the brig glided very gently along, for it was nearly calm, and then
passing the new sail deftly beneath the bowsprit, two