not possibly rig any thing of much available use aft. He called out to the
men therefore, as he sprang upon the staging, to follow him and to launch
the spar into the water before they breakfasted.

"Let us make sure of this fellow, men," he added, "for it is our main-stay.
With this stick fairly in our raft, we may yet make a passage; no one must
think of his teeth till it is out of all risk. This stick we must have, if
we make war on the Emperor of Morocco for its possession."

The people knew the necessity for exertion, and they worked accordingly.
The top was knocked off, and carried down to the water; the spar was then
cut round, and rolled after it, not without trouble, however, as the
trestle trees were left on; but the descent of the sands favoured the
labour. When on the margin of the sea, by the aid of hand-spikes, the head
was got afloat, or so nearly so, as to require but little force to move
it, when a line from the boats was fastened to the outer end, and the top
was secured alongside.

"Now, clap your hand-spikes under it, boys, and heave away!" cried the
captain. "Heave together and keep the stick straight--heave, and his head
is afloat!--Haul, haul away in the boat!--heave all at once, and as if you
were giants!--you gained three feet that tug, my hearties--try him again,
gentlemen, as you are--and move together, like girls in a
_cotillion_--Away with it!--What the devil are you staring at, in the
fore-top there? Have you nothing better to do than to amuse yourself in
seeing us heave our insides out?"

The intense interest attached to the securing of this spar had extended to
the look-out in the top, and instead of keeping his eye on the desert, as
ordered, he was looking down at the party on the beach, and betraying his