What the children were really doing, of course, was trying out what it would feel like when they themselves were all grown pirates, running a joint venture or each with a craft of his own: and though they never so much as mentioned piracy in the course of these public navigations, they talked their heads off about it at night now. Margaret also refused to swim: but they knew by now it was no good trying to make her: no good yelling at _her_ she was drowning, for all she did at that word was to sit down and cry. So it became a recognised convention that Margaret, wherever she went or whatever she was doing, was on a raft, with a keg of biscuit and a barrel of water, by herself--and could be ignored. For, since her return, she had become very dull company. That one game of Consequences had been a flash in the pan. For several days after it she had remained in bed, hardly speaking, and inclined to tear strips off her blanket when she was asleep: and even when she was about again, though perfectly amiable--more amiable than before--she refused to join in any game whatever. She seemed happy: but for any imaginative purpose she was useless. Moreover, she made no attempt to regain the sovereignty to which Emily had succeeded. She never ordered any one about. There was not even any fun to be got out of baiting her: nothing seemed to ruffle her temper. She was sometimes treated with a good-humoured contempt, sometimes ignored altogether: and it was enough for _her_ to say something for it to be automatically voted silly. Rachel also, for several days after her service, showed no disposition to join with the others. She preferred to sit about below, sulking, in the hold. From time to time she attempted to pick a hole, with a copper nail she had got hold of, in the bottom of the ship, and so sink it. It was Laura who discovered her purpose, and came hot-foot to Emily with the news. Laura never doubted, any more than Rachel did, that the task was a possible one. Emily came below and found her at it. After three days, she had only managed to scratch up one single splinter--partly because she never attacked the same place twice: but both she and Laura expected to see quantities of water come welling through and rapidly fill the ship. Indeed, though no water had yet appeared, Laura was convinced the ship was already perceptibly lowered as a result of Rachel’s efforts. Laura clasped her hands in expectation, waiting to see what Emily would do in the face of this impending disaster. ‘You stupid, _that’s_ no good!’ was all Emily’s comment. Rachel looked at her angrily: ‘You leave me alone! I know what I am doing!’ Emily’s eyes grew very wide, and danced with a strange light. ‘If you talk to me like that, I’ll have you hanged from the yard-arm!’ ‘What’s _that_?’ asked Rachel sulkily. ‘You ought to know which is the yard-arm by now!’ ‘I don’t care!’ growled Rachel, and went on scratching with her nail.