He took a turn, and over he went without delay.

After four or five attempts to get under the ship, he finally came to the
surface with news. He had been under her bilge, clear down to the keel on
a line with the main channels. Not being able to get further, and seeing
the dark shadow of the keel ahead, he made out to examine as far as he
could go. Close to her garboard strake on the starboard side he saw where
a large butt had started, owing probably to the bad loading of the ship.
This plank end starting outboard was evidently where the water came in.

Andrews came on deck after this, and all hands began overhauling gear to
get a mattress upon the hole. Lines were rove and passed under the ship's
bilge and keel. These were made fast on deck to the stump of the mizzen
mast, and their ends brought to the capstan through snatch blocks. Planks
were then strapped loosely on the lines and allowed to run along them
freely, being weighted sufficiently to cause them to sink. After they
were slung clear of the ship, they were held in position until a pad of
canvas and oakum was inserted between them and the side.

It was quite late in the evening before this was accomplished, and work
had to be stopped until daylight.

At the evening meal Andrews was more sulky than usual. It appeared that
now, since there was a chance of stopping the leak, we would all be
aboard the ship when she made port, for with the water out of her we
might easily make the Cape in a fortnight.

Sackett said grace as usual, standing up and bowing gravely over the
long board.

"What's the sense of asking the Lord to make us truly thankful for stuff
what ain't fit to eat anyway," growled Andrews, when he finished. "You
ain't got nothin' to be so blamed thankful for, captain. This grub'll
sure make some of the men sick before we're through. If I ain't mistaken,
some of them will be down with trouble before the leak is swabbed."

"I'll say what I think best, sir, at my table. If you don't like it, you
can eat with the men," answered Sackett.

"Oh, I never said nothin' to the contrary, did I?" asked the fellow.

"Well, pay a little more attention to your behavior, or I'll make a
passenger of you on board," said Sackett, who had lost patience.

"I never came here on those conditions, and I fail to accept them, my
Lord's anointed. I wasn't asked to come aboard here. Since I'm here, I'll
have my rights, and I don't call to mind the names of any one arou