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 56 THE CRATER; be done with difficulty. I am still of opinion we had better try it, for the alternative is a very serious matter.&quot; &quot; I don t exactly understand what you mean by attorney- tives, Mr. Mark; though it s little harm, or little good that any attorney can do the old Cocus, now ! But, as for getting this craft through them reefs, to windward, and into clear water, it surpasses the power of man. Did you just notice the tide-ripples, Mr. Mark, when you was up in the cross-trees?&quot; &quot;I saw them, Bob, and am fully aware of the difficulty of running as large a vessel as this among them, even with a full crew. But what will become of us, unless we get the ship into open water?&quot; &quot; Sure enough, sir. I see no other hope for us, Mr. Mark, but to Robinson Crusoe it awhile, until our times come; or, till the Lord, in his marcy, shall see fit to have us picked up.&quot; &quot;Robinson Crusoe it!&quot; repeated Mark, smiling at the quaintness of Bob s expression, which the well-meaning fellow uttered in all simplicity, and in perfect good faith &quot; where are we to find even an uninhabited island, on which to dwell after the mode of Robinson Crusoe?&quot; &quot; There s a bit of a reef to leeward, where I dare say a man might pick up a living, arter a fashion,&quot; answered Bob, coolly ; &quot; then, here is the ship.&quot; &quot;And how long would a hempen cable hold the ship in a place like this, where every time the vessel lifts to a sea, the clench is chafing on a rock ? No, no, Bob the ship cannot long remain where she is, depend on that. &quot;We must try and pass down to leeward, if we cannot beat the ship through the dangers to windward.&quot; &quot; Harkee, Mr. Mark ; I thought this matter over in my mind, while we was aloft, and this is my idee as to what is best to be done, for a start. There s the dingui on the poop, in as good order as ever a boat was. She will easily carry two on us, and, on a pinch, she might carry half a dozen. Now, my notion is to get the dingui into the water, to put a breaker and some grub in her, and to pull down to that bit of a reef, and have a survey of it. I ll take the sculls going down, and you can keep heaving the lead, by way of finding out if there be sich a thing as a