dren behind them. See Note 1.

The old boat turned out to be so leaky, however, that they were
compelled to return. But they did not cease to repine and to desire
deliverance. Gentle-spirited and tractable though they undoubtedly
were, they had evidently been tried beyond their powers of endurance.
They were roused, and when meek people are roused they not unfrequently
give their friends and acquaintances, (to say nothing of those nearer),
a considerable surprise.

Matthew Quintal, who had a good deal of sly humour about him, eventually
hit on a plan to quiet them, at least for a time.

"What makes you so grumpy, old girl?" he said one day to his wife, while
eating his dinner under the shade of a palm-tree.

"We wiss to go home," she replied, in a plaintive tone.

"Well, well, you _shall_ go home, so don't let your spirits go down. If
you've got tired of me, lass, you're not worth keeping. We'll set to
work and build you a new boat out o' the old un. We'll begin this very
day, and when it's finished, you may up anchor and away to Otaheite, or
Timbuctoo for all that I care."

The poor woman seemed pleased to hear this, and true to his word,
Quintal set to work that very day, with McCoy, whom he persuaded to
assist him. His friend thought that Quintal was only jesting about the
women, and that in reality he meant to build a serviceable boat for
fishing purposes. Young and Adams took little notice of what the other
two were about; but one day when the former came down to the beach on
Bounty Bay, he could not help remarking on the strange shape of the
boat.

"It'll never float," he remarked, with a look of surprise.

"It's not wanted to float," replied Quintal, "at least not just yet. We
can make it float well enough with a few improvements afterwards."

Young looked still more surprised, but when Quintal whispered something
in his ear, he laughed and went away.

The boat was soon ready, for it was to some extent merely a modification
of the old boat. Then all the women were desired to get into it and
push off, to see how it did.

"Get in carefully now, old girls," said Quintal, with a leer. "Lay hold
of the oars and we'll shove you through the first o' the surf. Lend a
hand, McCoy. Now then, give way all--hi!"

With a vigorous shove the two men sent the boat shooting through the
surf, which was unusually low that day. Young and Adams, with some of
the children, stood on the rocks and looked on.