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in-chains. Quenching our thirst gave us all new life; so, later on in the afternoon, Captain Miles set the men to work casting off the ropes as best they could with the idea of freeing the masts. However, we could do nothing without an axe, for no man had anything handier than his clasp-knife, which naturally was of no use in helping to cut away the cordage and heavy spars that kept the ship down on her beam-ends. What was to be done? We were all in a dilemma, one man suggesting one thing, and another proposing a fresh plan for getting rid of the masts; when, Adze, the carpenter, who had said nothing as yet, spoke for the first time. "I left a large axe o' mine," he said quietly, as if saying nothing particularly worthy of notice--"I left a large axe o' mine in my bunk in the fo'c's'le; and if ary a one can git down theer, he'll find it on the top side to his starboard hand as he goes in." "But, the fo'c's'le's full of water," said Mr Marline, "and a man must be a good diver to creep in there and get the axe under eight or twelve foot of sea! Besides, I daresay it will have been washed away from where Adze put it in his bunk, the lurch of the ship having shifted everything to leeward." "It war to leeward already in the top bunk, I tell 'ee," rejoined the carpenter; "an', bein' that heavy, I spec's it's theer right enough. Only I can't dive, nor swim above water for that matter, so it's no use my going after it." "I'll go, massa captain," shouted out Jake, who had been listening eagerly to this conversation. "I'se dibe like porpuss an' swim like fiss." "I know that," said Captain Miles laughing. "I recollect the way you came aboard my ship. But you can try if you like, darkey. If you find that axe, you'll be the saving of all of us, and give a fair return for your passage, my hearty!" Jake did not need any further persuasion. Making his way along the bulwarks, he clambered on to the main rigging, now lying flat across the capsized vessel, until he came to a clear space between the mainmast and the forecastle, from whence the boats and cook's galley had been washed away. Jumping into the water at this point, he swam towards the spot where he thought the entrance to the forecastle should lie, for the sea was washing about forward, and nothing to be seen above the surface but a small portion of the port bulwarks near the dead-eyes of the fore-shrouds and a bit of the port cat-head. Jake then
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