Page:Barbour--Lost island.djvu/311

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LOST ISLAND

properly Mr. Cresswell hobbled back into his house.

"He's a queer sort," Dave said.

"Never mind, we have a boat now," commented Tempest, with a new flash of enthusiasm. "She is n't exactly the sort of craft I should have chosen for monkeying about with in the Pacific, but she's better than nothing. Now, my lad, off with that coat of yours. We have a nice little job ahead of us to fix the tub."

Near the boat was a shed in which the sails were stored. They were in passable condition. Some of the lanyards were rotten, but there was other rope that could be utilized for the purpose. The first thing they did was to haul the boat down to the water's edge and half sink her to swell her timbers. They put in the rest of that day repairing the gear.

Next morning they found their boat considerably improved. They hauled her high and dry, and set to work caulking the leaky cracks. Before

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