and the captain was obliged to send for a
diver to get the anchor up."

"But there aren't no rocks here, Mr Fitz, sir, to fray this here one,
because it has never been down."

"No, but it has been ground against the iron stern-post till it's nearly
through in ever so many places. Look there, and there, and there."

"Hah, look at that, bosun," cried the carpenter triumphantly. "Just
cast your eye along there and there. Our side's right and the Manilla
cable's all wrong. I'm afeard too as we're going to find out a good
many other things is wrong, and the gunboat aren't afloat yet."

"No, but you've undertaken to float her, Chips," said Poole. "I
wouldn't reckon on being Don Ramon's head naval architect and engineer
just yet."

"No, sir, I don't," said the carpenter seriously. "But anyhow we'll set
the screw free before we trouble any more about that leakage;" and in a
very business-like way he carried out the boatswain's plans, connecting
the cable with the capstan, and winding it off; but it was so damaged by
grinding against the edges of the opening that it parted five different
times before it was all off, to the boatswain's great disgust.

"What have you got to say about the leakage, Mr Burnett, sir?"
whispered the carpenter after the cable task was ended, and the fans of
the propeller showed clearly in the water just below the surface, and
had been set whirling round in both directions to churn up the water,
and prove that the shaft had not been wrenched or dragged from its
bearings.

"Nothing at present, Chips," replied the middy.

"Because I'd take it kindly, sir, if you'd drop a fellow a hint or two.
This is a big job, sir, and means my making or my breaking, sir."

"But you shouldn't ask me, my man," replied the middy. "You are old and
experienced, while I'm only a boy."

"Yes, sir, I knows that," said the man; "but you're come out of a
gunboat, sir, and you've got your head screwed on the right way, sir. I
never see a young gent with such a head as yours, nor yet one as was
screwed on so tight."

"Oh, nonsense, Chips," cried the boy, flushing. "It's your job, not
mine."

"Nay, sir, it aren't nonsense, it's sound sense. I like a bit of the
first as well as any man when larking helps to make hard work go easy.
Often enough a bit o' fun acts like ile to a hard job, but it won't ile
this one. And as I said afore, sir, I'd take it kindly if you'd put in
a word now and then over the rest o'