flattered myself.

Now when I came out on deck, they were busied again in heaving taut the
rope, and, until they had made an end, Mistress Madison and I filled the
time with such chatter as is wholesome between a man and maid who have
not long met, yet find one another pleasing company. Then, when at last
the rope was taut, I went up to the mizzen staging, and climbed into the
chair, after which some of the men lashed me in very securely. Yet when
they gave the signal to haul me to the island, there came for awhile no
response, and then signs that we could not understand; but no movement to
haul me across the weed. At that, they unlashed me from the chair,
bidding me get out, whilst they sent a message to discover what might be
wrong. And this they did, and, presently, there came back word that the
big rope had stranded upon the edge of the cliff, and that they must
slacken it somewhat at once, the which they did, with many expressions of
dismay. And so, maybe an hour passed, during which we watched the men
working at the rope, just where it came down over the edge of the hill,
and Mistress Madison stood with us and watched; for it was very terrible,
this sudden thought of failure (though it were but temporary) when they
were so near to success. Yet, at last there came a signal from the island
for us to loose the hauling-line, the which we did, allowing them to haul
across the carrier, and so, in a little while, they signaled back to us
to pull in, which, having done, we found a letter in the bag lashed to
the carrier, in which the bo'sun made it plain that he had strengthened
the rope, and placed fresh chafing gear about it, so that he thought it
would be so safe as ever to heave upon; but to put it to a less strain.
Yet he refused to allow me to venture across upon it, saying that I must
stay in the ship until we were clear of the weed; for if the rope had
stranded in one place, then had it been so cruelly tested that there
might be some other points at which it was ready to give. And this final
note of the bo'sun's made us all very serious; for, indeed, it seemed
possible that it was as he suggested; yet they reassured themselves by
pointing out that, like enough, it had been the chafe upon the cliff edge
which had frayed the strand, so that it had been weakened before it
parted; but I, remembering the chafing gear which the bo'sun had put
about it in the first instance, felt not so sure; yet I would not add to
their