y little labour
with the bars sufficed to send the stone down on to the bank ready for
loading; and when any especial difficulty was experienced, a small
quantity of powder always proved sufficient to overcome it. Such
capital progress, indeed, did they make, that in less than a month they
had not only quarried, but had actually transferred to the islet as much
stone as it was thought they would require. By that time a very fair
quantity of coal was also ready for removal; and when this important
task was accomplished, a kiln was built, and Gaunt himself undertook the
manufacture of lime, whilst Henderson and the skipper proceeded to erect
a shed for the storage of the same, Nicholls meanwhile essaying the task
of putting up a smithy on the site of the future ship-yard, whilst
Manners busied himself in getting out the ground for the foundations of
the fort.

But before they were ready to begin their building operations in
earnest, the long-expected change of weather--or rather the change of
the seasons--had come upon them, and their work was somewhat retarded by
the setting in of heavy rains, accompanied by terrific thunderstorms and
occasional heavy gales of wind. The course of the wind, too, had
changed; for whereas its prevalent direction hitherto, ever since their
landing upon the island, had been south-west, it now blew almost
unintermittently from the north-east.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

THE SKIPPER GOES IN CHASE OF A STRANGE SAIL.

The violent atmospheric disturbances which accompanied the change of the
seasons lasted about a month, after which the weather became tolerably
settled once more, though rain now fell, more or less heavily, every
day. To work out of doors in the midst of pelting rain was by no means
pleasant, although there was no perceptible variation in the usual
temperature of the climate. Still there existed in the breasts of all
so strong a feeling of insecurity so long as the "fort" remained
unbuilt, that they determined rather to suffer the unpleasantness of
being daily drenched to the skin than to protract the uneasy feeling of
defencelessness which haunted them.

The building, then, was pushed forward with all possible expedition,
and, thanks to the indefatigable energy with which they laboured, was so
far finished as to be habitable within a couple of months of its
commencement, though of course a great deal still remained to be done
before it could be regarded as absolutely secure.