Thus, their present position was a thousandfold more terrible than the one before. But, still, only boys though they were, hope did not yet quite desert them. The indomitable courage of youth triumphed over disaster. For a few seconds neither could speak. However, when the ship had disappeared, going away as silently as she had approached them, they bestirred themselves to see what damage the cutter had sustained. Bob was the first to recall his scattered wits. "Well, they haven't sunk us, as I was afraid they would, Dick!" said he. "I wonder if any of the planks are really started?" "How can we see, Master Bob?" asked Dick anxiously. "So as to know if she be all right?" "Why, by baling her out," he answered. "If we lessen the water in her, then we'll know she's all right." "But if the water don't go down?" "Then, _we_ will!" replied Bob rather curtly. "Have you got anything to bale her out with?" "Well, Master Bob," observed Dick, grinning, "fur a young gen'leman as is so sharp, you've got a orful bad mem'ry! Don't 'ee recollect the booket as ye helped me fur to wash down the decks wi' this very marnin'?" "Dear me, Dick, I declare I quite forgot that!" said Bob, with a laugh, seeing Dick's grin; for, it was not so dark now in their immediate vicinity, the breeze having lifted the fog slightly from the surface of the water. "Where is the bucket stored?" "In the locker, joost by 'ee," was Dick's response, as he waded through the water and came up to his companion. "Stop, I'll get 'im for 'ee! I'll have to make a dive fur he, though!" "Have you got it?" inquired Bob, after Dick had groped about for some time, popping his head under water and coming up at intervals for breath. "Have you got it?" "'Ees," said he at length, lugging out the bucket, "I've got 'im!" Then, they set to work, each using it alternately. The exertion did them both good, too, standing up as they were to their middles in water; for, it prevented them shivering with cold as they had before done. Bucketful after bucketful they emptied over the side; and, still they did not appear to decrease the quantity the cutter contained to any appreciable extent, bale they, as they baled, their hardest! Gradually, however, the after-thwart became clear. "Hooray!" exclaimed Bob. "We're gaining on it." This inspired them with renewed strength; and, after nearly an hour's hard work, they had so lessened the water that only a small portion now remained washing about under the bottom boards of the boat, which, recovering all her old buoyancy, floated again with a high freeboard, light as a cork, above the surface of the sea, instead of being level with it as before. "That's a good job done!" said Dick. "I wish that theer murderin' shep hadn't a-bruk our mast; fur, we'd soon been all right!" "While you're about it, Dick," said Bob, "you might, just as well, wish she hadn't carried the mast and boom away with her. I don't believe they've left us anything!"