its work when you were in your cradle.
What'll we do for canvas? We must get this craft before the wind.
How'll the carpet do?" Boston lifted the edge, and tried the fabric in
his fingers. "It'll go," he said; "we'll double it. I'll hunt for a
palm-and-needle and some twine." These articles he found in the mate's
room. "The twine's no better than yarn," said he, "but we'll use four
parts."

Together they doubled the carpet diagonally, and with long stitches
joined the edges. Then Boston sewed into each corner a thimble--an
iron ring--and they had a triangular sail of about twelve feet hoist.
"It hasn't been exposed to the action of the air like the ropes in the
locker forward," said Boston, as he arose and took off the palm; "and
perhaps it'll last till she pays off. Then we can steer. You get the
big pulley-blocks from the locker, Doc, and I'll get the rope from the
boat. It's lucky I thought to bring it; I expected to lift things out
of the hold with it."

At the risk of his life Boston obtained the coil from the boat, while
the doctor brought the blocks. Then, together, they rove off a tackle.
With the handles of their pistols they knocked bunk-boards to pieces
and saved the nails; then Boston climbed the foremast, as a painter
climbs a steeple--by nailing successive billets of wood above his head
for steps. Next he hauled up and secured the tackle to the forward
side of the mast, with which they pulled up the upper corner of their
sail, after lashing the lower corners to the windlass and fiferail.

It stood the pressure, and the hulk paid slowly off and gathered
headway. Boston took the wheel and steadied her at northwest by
west--dead before the wind--while the doctor, at his request, brought
the open can of soup and lubricated the wheel-screw with the only
substitute for oil at their command; for the screw worked hard with the
rust of fifty years.

Their improvised sail, pressed steadily on but one side, had held
together, but now, with the first flap as the gale caught it from
another direction, appeared a rent; with the next flap the rag went to
pieces.

"Let her go!" sang out Boston gleefully; "we can steer now. Come here,
Doc, and learn to steer."

The doctor came; and when he left that wheel, three days later, he had
learned. For the wind had blown a continuous gale the whole of this
time, which, with the ugly sea raised as the ship left the lee of the
land, necessitated the presence of