old him that,
many weeks previously, they had found a whale-boat lying capsized on the
beach some miles away, and that she was perfectly sound. By great labour
they had succeeded in dragging her up into the margin of the scrub on
the beach, where they had turned her over and covered her carefully with
dead branches. A further search along the beach had resulted in their
finding an oar and one of the line tubs,{*} but that was all.

* English whale-ship boats generally used two line tub's--
American only one. No doubt this boat was lost from an
English whaler, the _Britannia_, then on the coast.

Of course poor Tom May was greatly taken with this, and said that he
would join them, and that he thought Walter Trenfield would come as
well. He went with the men to look at the boat, and found her just as
they had said--almost new and quite watertight. He agreed to return to
within a safe distance of Bar Harbour, and, through Patrick Kenna, let
Trenfield know of the discovery of the boat and get him to help them to
fit her out properly. Oars and a mast they could easily make, had they
the tools, and a sail could also be obtained through either Ruth or her
father, who could get them enough coarse calico for the purpose.

Kenna promised to help, although he told Tom he should try to dissuade
Walter from joining in the enterprise. Just before daylight May bid
Kenna good-bye, as he was anxious to return to the other two convicts
and tell them that they had friends who would help them. Before he
left, however, he arranged with Kenna that the latter should bring the
required articles one by one--especially two breakers of water--to the
foot of Little Nobby's and hide them in the scrub at the spot agreed
upon. Then, when all was ready and a dark night favoured, May and the
other two men were to launch the boat and make their way with all speed
down the coast to Little Nobby's--nearly twenty miles distant from where
the boat was hidden--take on board the water and provisions and put to
sea; it being May's intention, whether Trenfield joined him or not, to
make to the northward for Timor in the East Indies. Then, with a warm
hand-grasp, they parted; and never again was Thomas May seen alive.

On the following morning Kenna contrived to see Walter and tell him that
his former shipmate was safe, and what was afoot. Of course Walter was
overjoyed to learn that he (Tom) had such a means of escape offering,
and at once ann