ss. The
salt beef was more difficult to obtain; but, little by little,
we managed to smuggle out of the cask enough to answer our purpose.

As for water, most luckily a day or two previous several "breakers"
of it had been hoisted from below for the present use of the ship's
company.

These "breakers" are casks, long and slender, but very strong. Of
various diameters, they are made on purpose to stow into spaces
intervening between the immense butts in a ship's hold.

The largest we could find was selected, first carefully examining it
to detect any leak. On some pretense or other, we then rolled them
all over to that side of the vessel where our boat was suspended, the
selected breaker being placed in their middle.

Our compendious wardrobes were snugly packed into bundles and laid
aside for the present. And at last, by due caution, we had every
thing arranged preliminary to the final start. Let me say, though,
perhaps to the credit of Jarl, that whenever the most strategy was
necessary, he seemed ill at ease, and for the most part left the
matter to me. It was well that he did; for as it was, by his untimely
straight-forwardness, he once or twice came near spoiling every
thing. Indeed, on one occasion he was so unseasonably blunt, that
curiously enough, I had almost suspected him of taking that odd sort
of interest in one's welfare, which leads a philanthropist, all other
methods failing, to frustrate a project deemed bad; by pretending
clumsily to favor it. But no inuendoes; Jarl was a Viking, frank as
his fathers; though not so much of a bucanier.

CHAPTER VI
Eight Bells

The moon must be monstrous coy, or some things fall out opportunely,
or else almanacs are consulted by nocturnal adventurers; but so it
is, that when Cynthia shows a round and chubby disk, few daring deeds
are done. Though true it may be, that of moonlight nights, jewelers'
caskets and maidens' hearts have been burglariously broken into--and
rifled, for aught Copernicus can tell.

The gentle planet was in her final quarter, and upon her slender horn
I hung my hopes of withdrawing from the ship undetected.

Now, making a tranquil passage across the ocean, we kept at this time
what are called among whalemen "boatscrew-watches." That is, instead
of the sailors being divided at night into two bands, alternately on
deck every four hours, there were four watches, each composed of a
boat's crew, the "headsman" (always one of the mates) ex