Page:Ballantyne--The Battery and the Boiler.djvu/168

 who don't know it, that the tying of a knot on a cable is not managed in the same way or with the same ease that a similar operation is performed on a piece of twine.

"But how shall we lift it over the side?" asked Stumps, becoming suddenly alive to a difficulty.

"Help me to haul on this rope and you shall see," said Sam.

He ran to the side, lifted a coil of rope off its belaying-pin, threw it on the deck, cut the rope clear, and hauled it to the raft, to one end of which he made it fast.

It was the strong rope, by means of which one of the mizzen yards was braced, and was rove through a block attached to the outward end of the yard. "Hoist away now—with a will!"

"Hold on," cried Slagg, stuffing a mass of sail-cloth violently, by means of a handspike, underneath the binding rope of the raft.

"There now—yo ho! heave ho—o!"

Up went the end of the little ark of safety, and when one end was raised very little force was required to push it over.

"Hold on! hold on! hold—o—o—on!" yelled Stumps, straining to prevent the raft from leaving the ship.

"No, no.—Let go! let go! let go—o—o!" roared Sam.