“I say, boys, there’s no hurry. There’s no water in her.”
These words made the others desist from their preparations. Seeing Tom
pumping, it struck them all that this was better than taking to the
boat; so they all hurried to his help. As yet, however, there was
nothing to be done.
“O, thar’s no danger in p’tic’lar,” said Captain Corbet. “She’s struck
a sand-bank, paps, or, paps, a reef, somewhars. An now I wonder whar it
can be.”
To this remark, which showed his utter ignorance of the situation, the
boys had no reply to make. Bruce, however, tied an iron belaying-pin
to a rope, and began sounding for bottom. At the stern he found three
fathoms, at the bows only three feet. He took a boat-hook, and, plunging
it down into the water at the bows, found that it was smooth sand, and
the bows were resting upon it. This gave some comfort, for he hoped that
they might yet escape.
But the wind was strong, and the waves made the Antelope roll and
work about in her sandy bed after a most unpleasant fashion. If this
continued long, the boys knew that the schooner would be lost, for
she could not resist such a strain as this. Still, they turned their
thoughts now rather to the task of saving her, if possible, than taking
to the boat; and so, lowering the sails, so as to lessen the effect of
the wind upon her, they set to work, some with the sweeps rowing, and
others with the boat-hook pushing, and thus they tried to get her off
the sand-bank.
“It’s about the best thing we can do,” said Captain Corbet, in a
patronizing tone; “an we’ll do it yet. An I dare say the tide’ll lift
us.”
This mention of the tide cheered the boys. If the tide was rising,
they could hope; if not, it would be bad for them. A little calculation
showed them that it could not be falling, but must be rising, and this
discovery made them work with renewed energy.
At length they had the satisfaction of finding that their efforts were
successful. The water at the bows deepened; the schooner moved. She was
afloat! Quickly the sails were hoisted, and the Antelope, catching the
wind, came round, and once more sought the deep water.