ut Flora
also found it perfectly safe and easy to descend by means of them right
down to the water's edge, into which the cliffs dropped sheer, with a
depth of water alongside so great that Dick could not discern the
bottom, although the water was crystal-clear. And so narrow was the
opening that what small amount of swell found its way into the cove was
practically dissipated ere it reached the rocky walls, alongside which
the water rose and fell so gently that its movement was scarcely
perceptible. It was, in fact, an ideal harbour for such a craft as the
cutter, and Dick at once determined to bring her round to this spot as
soon as she was ready, in order to ship the treasure on board her.

Upon their return to camp that evening Dick found that Nicholls and
Simpson were making such rapid strides toward recovery that they were
not only able to walk about with something like an approach to their
former strength, but that they also expressed their conviction that they
would be perfectly able to begin work on the morrow. It appeared that
they had been amusing themselves by prowling about the camp and
investigating the condition of affairs generally. It was only natural
that their chief interest should centre in the cutter, and the probable
amount of work that lay before them all ere she would be completed and
ready for sea. As has already been mentioned, her condition at this
time was that of a completed skeleton, her keel, stem, and stern-posts
having been joined up, the whole of her frames erected in position and
properly connected to the keel, and all her wales and stringers
bolted-to; she was therefore so far advanced that the next thing in
order was to lay her planking. This planking, it may be mentioned, was
of oak throughout, arranged to be laid on in two thicknesses, each plank
of the outer skin overlaying a joint between two planks in the skin
beneath it; and every plank had already been roughly cut to shape and
carefully marked. All, therefore, that was now required was to complete
the trimming of each plank and fix it in position. The inner layer of
planking was much the thicker of the two, the intention of the designer
evidently being that this inner skin should be attached to the steel
frames by steel screws not quite long enough to completely penetrate the
plank, the outer skin being attached to the inner by gun-metal screws
carefully spaced in such a manner that there was always a distance of at
le