They had been eagerly watching the issue
of my device, the success of which pleased them mightily. Cludde
made me strip off my dripping garments, declaring that if I stood
in them (the night being chilly) I should catch my death of cold.
"That's all very well," I said; "but I shall be colder still stark
naked."
"You must just run about and slap yourself," cries Joe; "Mr. Cludde
and me can help--me particler, my name being so. And it won't be
for long, 'cos when that black Moses went off to do your bidding
(he was a bit scared of some foolishness he called bugaboos), I
told him to bring clothes and blankets from the house, knowing that
the likes o' that wouldn't have come into your own noddle."
"True, it did not," I confessed. "I am lucky in having an old
mariner like you to look after me."
"Ay, and there be old mariners aboard that brig, too. See, they bin
and dropped a couple of boats out, to tow her off."
This gave me a start, and I watched with great anxiety the efforts
of the buccaneers to haul their vessel off the shoals. She was not
more than fifty yards from the cliff where we were standing, which
somewhat overhung the bay, and from our elevated position we could
see clearly what was going on. I suppose it was a full hour before
they gave up the attempt, and 'twas clear that having failed a good
many more hours must pass before 'twould be possible to float her,
for the tide, which had been at the flood when she ran aground, was
now ebbing, and Vetch could not (any more than King Canute) command
that.
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