XX.

New Discoveries.--The Boat.--A great Swell.--Meditations and Plans.--A

new, and wonderful, and before unheard-of Application of Spruce

Gum.--I'm afloat! I'm afloat!

Tom sat there over his banquet until late. He then went down to the

beach, and brought up a vast collection of driftwood, and throwing a

plenteous supply upon the fire, he lay down beside it, and looked out

over the water, trying, as usual, to see something through the thick

mist. The flames shot up with a crackle and a great blaze, and the

bright light shone brilliantly upon the water. The tide was now up, and

the boat was full before him. Tom fixed his eyes upon this boat, and

was mournfully recalling his unsuccessful experiment at making her

sea-worthy, and was waiting to see her sink down to her gunwales as she

filled, when the thought occurred to him that she was not filling so

rapidly as she might, but was floating much better than usual. A

steady observation served to show him that this was no fancy, but an

actual fact; and the confirmation of this first impression at once

drove away all other thoughts, and brought back all the ideas of escape

which he once had cherished.

The boat was admitting the water, certainly, yet she certainly did not

leak quite so badly as before, but was floating far better than she had

done on the night of his trial. What was the meaning of this?

Now, the fact is, he had not noticed the boat particularly during the

last few days. He had given it up so completely, that it ceased to

have any interest in his eyes. Raising his signal, building his house,

and exploring the island had taken up all his thoughts. Latterly he

had thought of nothing but his dinner. But now the change in the boat

was unmistakable, and it seemed to him that the change might have been

going on gradually all this time without his noticing it until it had

become so marked.

What was the cause of this change? That was the question which he now

sought to answer. After some thought he found a satisfactory

explanation.

For a number of days the boat had been admitting the water till she was

full. This water had remained in for an hour or more, and this process

of filling and emptying had been repeated every tide. The atmosphere

also had been wet, and the wood, thus saturated with water so

frequently, had no chance of getting dry. Tom thought, therefore, that

the wooden framework, which he had constructed so as to tighten the

leak, had been gradually swelling from the action of the water; and the

planks of the boat had been tightening their cracks from the same

cause, so that now the opening was not nearly so bad as it had been.

Thus the boat, which once had been able to float him for a quarter of

an hour or more, ought now to be able to float him for at least double

that time.

Tom watched the boat very attentively while the tide was up; and, when

at length it began to retreat, and leave it once more aground, he

noticed that it was not more than half full of water. If any

confirmation had been needed to the conclusions which he had drawn from

seeing the improved buoyancy of the boat, it would have been afforded

by this. Tom accepted this with delight, as an additional circumstance

in his favor; and now, having become convinced of this much, he set his

wits to work to see if some plan could not be hit upon by means of

which the boat could once more be made sea-worthy.

Tom's indefatigable perseverance must have been noticed by this time.

To make the best of circumstances; to stand face to face with

misfortune, and shrink not; to meet the worst with equanimity, and

grasp eagerly at the slightest favorable change,--such was the

character that Tom had shown during his experience of the past. Now,

once more, he grasped at this slight circumstance that appeared to

favor his hopes, and sought to find some way by which that

half-floating boat could be made to float wholly, and bear him away to

those shores that were so near by. Too long had he been submitting to

this imprisonment; too long had he been waiting for schooners to pass

and to bring him help; too long had he been shut in by a fog that

seemed destined never to lift so long as he was here. If he could only

form some kind of a boat that would float long enough to land him on

the nearest coast, all that he wished would be gratified.

As he thought over this subject, he saw plainly what he had felt very

strongly before--that the boat could not be sea-worthy unless he had

some tar with which to plaster over the broken bow, and fill in the

gaping seams; but there was no tar. Still, did it follow that there

was nothing else? Might not something be found upon the island which

would serve the purpose of tar? There must be some such substance and

perhaps it might be found here.

Tom now thought over all the substances that he could bring before his

mind. Would clay do? No; clay would not. Would putty? No, and

besides, he could not get any. What, then, would serve this important

purpose?

Tar was produced from trees. Were there no trees here that produced

some sticky and glutinous substance like tar? There was the resin of

pine trees, but there were no pines on the island. What then? These

fir trees had a sort of sticky, balsamic juice that exuded plentifully

from them wherever they were cut. Might he not make some use of that?

Suddenly, in the midst of reflections like these, he thought of the gum

that is found on spruce trees--spruce gum! It was an idea that

deserved to be followed up and carried out. Thus far he had never

thought of spruce gum, except as something which he, like most boys,

was fond of chewing; but now it appeared before his mind as affording a

possible solution of his difficulty. The more he thought of it, the

more did it seem that this would be adapted to his purpose. The only

question was, whether he could obtain enough of it. He thought that he

might easily obtain enough if he only took the proper time and care.

With this new plan in his mind, Tom retired for the night, and awaked

the next morning by the dawn of day. It was still foggy; but he was

now so resigned, and was so full of his new plan, that it did not

trouble him in the slightest degree. In fact, he was so anxious to try

this, that the sight of a boat landing on the beach, all ready to take

him off, would not have afforded him an unmixed satisfaction.

He took his tin dipper, and went up at once into the woods. Here he

looked around very carefully, and soon found what he wanted. He knew

perfectly well, of course, how to distinguish spruce trees from fir, by

the sharp, prickly spires of the former, and so he was never at a loss

which trees to search. No sooner had he begun, than he was surprised

at the quantities that he found. To an ordinary observer the trunk of

the spruce tree seems like any other tree trunk--no rougher, and

perhaps somewhat smoother than many; but Tom now found that on every

tree almost there were little round excrescences, which, on being

picked at with the knife, came off readily, and proved to be gum. Vast

quantities of a substance which goes by the name of spruce gum are

manufactured and sold; but the pure gum is a very different article,

having a rich, balsamic odor, and a delicate yet delicious flavor; and

Tom, as he filled his pan, and inhaled the fragrance that was emitted

by its contents, lamented that his necessities compelled him to use it

for such a purpose as that to which this was destined. After four or

five hours' work, he found that he had gathered enough. He had filled

his pan no less than six times, and had secured a supply which was

amply sufficient to give a coating of thick gum over all the fractured

place. The tide, which had already risen, was now falling, and, as

soon as the boat was aground, and the water out of her, Tom proceeded

to raise her bows, in precisely the same manner as he had raised the

boat on a former occasion.

The next thing was to bring the gum into a fit condition for use. This

he did by kindling the fire, and melting it in his tin pan. This would

rather interfere with the use of that article as a cooking utensil, but

now that Tom's mind was full of this new purpose, cooking and things of

that sort had lost all attractions for him. As for food, there was no

fear about that. He had his biscuit, and the lobster and shell-fish

which he had cooked on the preceding day were but partially consumed.

Enough remained to supply many more meals.

The gum soon melted, and then a brush was needed to apply it to the

boat. This was procured by cutting off a little strip of canvas, about

a yard long and six inches wide. By picking out some of the threads,

and rolling it up, a very serviceable brush was formed.

Taking the gum now in its melted state, Tom dipped his brush into it,

and applied it all over the broken surface of the bow, pressing the hot

liquid in close, and allowing it to harden in the cracks. His first

coating of gum was very satisfactorily applied, and it seemed as though

a few more coatings ought to secure the boat from the entrance of the

water. The gum was tenacious, and its only bad quality was its

brittleness; but, as it would not be exposed to the blows of any hard

substances, it seemed quite able to serve Tom's wants.

Tom now went down to the drift-wood and brought up a fresh supply of

fuel, after which he melted a second panful of gum, and applied this to

the boat. He endeavored to secure an entrance for it into all the

cracks that did not seem to be sufficiently filled at the first

application, and now had the satisfaction of seeing all of those deep

marks filled up and effaced by the gum.

One place still remained which had not yet been made secure against the

entrance of the water, and that was where the planks gaped open from

the blow that had crushed in the bows. Here the canvas that was inside

protruded slightly. Torn ripped up some of the canvas that was on the

tent, and taking the threads, stuffed them in the opening, mixing them

with gum as he did so, until it was filled; and then over this he put a

coating of the gum. After this another pan, and yet another, were

melted, and the hot gum each time was applied. This gave the whole

surface a smooth appearance, that promised to be impenetrable to the

water.

The gum which he had collected was enough to fill two more pans. This

he melted as before, and applied to the bows. Each new application

clung to the one that had preceded it, in a thick and quickly hardening

layer, until at last, when the work was done, there appeared a coating

of this gum formed from six successive layers, that was smooth, and

hard, and without any crack whatever. It seemed absolutely water-tight;

and Tom, as he looked at it now, could not imagine where the water

could penetrate. Yet, in order to make assurance doubly sure, he

collected two more panfuls, and melting this he applied it as before.

After this was over, he made a torch of birch bark, and lighting this,

he held the flame against the gum till the whole outer surface began to

melt and run together. This served to secure any crevices that his

brush might have passed by without properly filling.

The work was now complete as far as Tom could do it; and on examining

it, he regretted that he had not thought of this before. He felt an

exultation that he had never known in his life. If he, by his own

efforts, could thus rescue himself, what a cause it would be always

after to struggle against misfortune, and rise superior to

circumstances!

As to the voyage, Tom's plan was the same that it had been on a former

occasion. He would float the boat at high tide, and then push off,

keeping her near the shore, yet afloat until ebb tide. Then, when the

tide should turn, and the current run up the bay, he would put off, and

float along with the stream until he reached land.

According to his calculations it would be high tide about two hours

after dark, which would be some time after ten. He would have to be up

all night; for the tide would not turn until after four in the morning.

But that did not trouble him. He would have too much on his mind to

allow him to feel sleepy, and, besides, the hope which lay before him

would prevent him from feeling fatigue.

One thing more remained, and that was, to bring up a fresh supply of

fuel. The night would be dark, and while floating in the boat, he

would need the light of the fire. So he brought up from the beach an

ample supply of drift-wood, and laid it with the rest.

When Tom's work was ended, it was late in the day, and he determined to

secure some sleep before he began his long night's work. He knew that

he could waken at the right time; so he laid himself down in his tent,

and soon slept the sleep of the weary.

By ten o'clock he was awake. He found the water already up to the

boat. There was no time to lose. He carried his box of biscuit on

board, and filled his pan with water from the brook, so as to secure

himself against thirst in case the boat should float away farther than

he anticipated. Then he took his paddle, and got into the boat.

The water came up higher. Most anxiously Tom watched it as it rose.

The fire was burning low, and in order to make more light, Tom went

ashore and heaped an immense quantity of wood upon it. The flames now

blazed up bright, and on going back again to the boat, the water was

plainly visible as it closed around the bows.

Most anxiously he now awaited, with his eyes fastened upon the bottom

of the boat. He had not brought the old sail this time, but left it

over his tent, and he could see plainly. Higher came the water, and

still higher, yet none came into the boat, and Tom could scarce believe

in his good fortune.

At last the boat floated!

Yes, the crisis had come and passed, and the boat floated!

There was now no longer any doubt. His work was successful; his

deliverance was sure. The way over the waters was open. Farewell to

his island prison! Welcome once more the great world! Welcome home,

and friends, and happiness!

In that moment of joy his heart seemed almost ready to burst. It was

with difficulty that he calmed himself; and then, offering up a prayer

of thanksgiving, he pushed off from the shore.

The boat floated!

The tide rose, and lingered, and fell.

The boat floated still.

There was not the slightest sign of a leak. Every hour, as it passed,

served to give Tom a greater assurance that the boat was sea-worthy.

He found no difficulty in keeping her afloat, even while retaining her

near the shore, so that she might be out of the way of the currents.

At length, when the tide was about half way down, he found the fire

burning too low, and determined to go ashore and replenish it. A rock

jutted above the water not far off. To this he secured the boat, and

then landing, he walked up the beach. Reaching the fire, he threw upon

it all the remaining wood. Returning then to the boat, he boarded her

without difficulty.

The tide fell lower and lower.

And now Tom found it more and more difficult to keep the boat afloat,

without allowing her to be caught by the current. He did not dare to

keep her bows near the shore, but turned her about, so that her stem

should rest from time to time on the gravel. At last the tide was so

low that rocks appeared above the surface, and the boat occasionally

struck them in a very unpleasant manner. To stay so near the shore any

longer was not possible. A slight blow against a rock might rub off

all the brittle gum, and then his chances would be destroyed. He

determined to put out farther, and trust himself to Providence.

Slowly and cautiously he let his boat move out into deeper water.

But slowness and caution were of little avail. In the deeper water

there was a strong current, which at once caught the boat and bore her

along. Tom struggled bravely against it, but without avail. He thought

for a moment of seeking the shore again, but the fear that the boat

would be ruined deterred him.

There was a little wind blowing from the southwest, and he determined

to trust to the sail. He loosened this, and, sitting down, waited for

further developments.

The wind filled the sail, and the boat's progress was checked somewhat,

yet still she drifted down the bay.

She was drifting down past the north shore of the island. Tom could

see, amid the gloom, the frowning cliffs as he drifted past. The

firelight was lost to view; then he looked for some time upon the dark

form of the island.

At last even that was lost to view.

He was drifting down the bay, and was already below Ile Haute.