we knew that
the reeds had come. At that, Mistress Madison cried out that we should go
and watch the men try them upon the weed; for that if they proved of use
in easing that which lay in our path, then should we come the more
speedily to the clear water, and this without the need of putting so
great a strain upon the hawser, as had been the case hitherto.

When we came to the poop, we found the men removing a portion of the
superstructure over the stern, and after that they took some of the
stronger reeds, and proceeded to work at the weed that stretched away in
a line with our taffrail. Yet that they anticipated danger, I perceived;
for there stood by them two of the men and the second mate, all armed
with muskets, and these three kept a very strict watch upon the weed,
knowing, through much experience of its terrors, how that there might be
a need for their weapons at any moment. And so a while passed, and it
was plain that the men's work upon the weed was having effect; for the
rope grew slack visibly, and those at the capstan had all that they
could do, taking fleet and fleet with the tackle, to keep it anywhere
near to tautness, and so, perceiving that they were kept so hard at it,
I ran to give a hand, the which did Mistress Madison, pushing upon the
capstan-bars right merrily and with heartiness. And thus a while passed,
and the evening began to come down upon the lonesomeness of the
weed-continent. Then there appeared the buxom woman, and bade us come to
our suppers, and her manner of addressing the two of us was the manner
of one who might have mothered us; but Mistress Madison cried out to her
to wait, that we had found work to do, and at that the big woman
laughed, and came towards us threateningly, as though intending to
remove us hence by force.

And now, at this moment, there came a sudden interruption which checked
our merriment; for, abruptly, there sounded the report of a musket in
the stern, and then came shouts, and the noise of the two other weapons,
seeming like thunder, being pent by the over-arching superstructure.
And, directly, the men about the taffrail gave back, running here and
there, and so I saw that great arms had come all about the opening which
they had made in the superstructure, and two of these flickered
in-board, searching hither and thither; but the stout woman took a man
near to her, and thrust him out of danger, and after that, she caught
Mistress Madison up in her big arms, an