Page:Adrift in the Pacific, Sampson Low, 1889.djvu/64

 By the 15th of April there only remained on the schooner such things as were too heavy to move until she had broken up — among them the pigs of lead used for ballast, the water-tanks in the hold, the windlass, and the galley, which were too heavy to be taken away without apparatus. The spars and rigging, shrouds, and stays of iron, chains, anchors, ropes, hawsers, lines, yarns, and such things, of which there was a great quantity on the yacht, were gradually removed to the ground near the tent.

Busy as they were with this work, the wants of each day were not neglected. Donagan, Webb, and Wilcox devoted a few hours to shooting the rock pigeons and the birds frequenting the marsh. The youngsters went searching for mollusks when the tide left the reef bare. It was pleasant to see Jenkins, I verson, Dole, and Costar hunting about in the pools like a lot of ducklings, and sometimes getting their legs wet so as to be scolded by the severe Gordon, and excused by the gentler Briant. Jack also went out with the youngsters, but he never joined in their shouts of laughter.

Things went on satisfactorily and methodically, thanks to Gordon, whose sound common sense was seldom at fault. Evidently Donagan gave in to him when he would not give into Briant or any one else. And harmony reigned in the little world.

But there was need of despatch. The second fortnight of April was less fine. The mean temperature sensibly fell, and many times during the early morning the thermometer fell below freezing. The winter was coming, and with it would appear its retinue of hail and snow, and storm.

The young and the old began to clothe themselves more warmly, to put on the thick jerseys and jackets. To find them was easy enough, for they were down all in Gordon's note-book, arranged in qualities and sizes. The youngest boys were Briant' s especial care. He saw that they had not cold feet, and that they did not dawdle