RAISING THE "WOODVILLE" Ethan French, during the two years he had been a resident of the State of New York, had been an earnest and diligent student. His mind was even more improved than his manners. His taste for mechanics had prompted him to study the various subjects included in this science, and as he stood by his companion, the pilot, he talked quite learnedly about the specific gravity of wood and iron, about displacement, buoyancy, and similar topics. "The hull of the steamer--that is, the woodwork--will not float itself, but it will sustain considerable additional weight," said he. "Yes, I understand all that," replied Lawry. "If there had been no iron in the _Woodville_ she would not have gone down." "The iron in her engines is seven or eight times as heavy as the same bulk of water. Its weight carried the hull down with it." "Then we must put down empty casks enough to float the engine," added Lawry. "No; the woodwork of the hull will hold up a portion of the weight of the engine, and we must furnish buoyancy enough to sustain the rest of it." "It will not take a great many casks, then--will it?" "Not a great many; but the difficulty is to get them down to the bottom, and fasten them to the hull." "I can do that," replied Lawry confidently. Ethan approved the method, and promised to ascertain what weight each of the casks would sustain in the water, when he had obtained their dimensions. The ferry-boat reached the other side of the lake, and the young men went to see Mr. Nelson, the owner of the casks. He did not wish to use the hogsheads till October, and was willing they should be employed for the purpose indicated, if Lawry would give him security for their safe return. "Mr. Sherwood will do that for you, Lawry," said Ethan. "That's a good name," added the oil speculator. "If he will guarantee the safe return of the casks, that is all I ask. I wonder if Mr. Sherwood don't want some shares in the Meteor Oil Company." "I don't know; I'll ask him," replied Ethan. "If you will, I won't charge you anything for the use of the casks," added Mr. Nelson. Mr. Sherwood was consulted in the evening. He was very willing to furnish the required security for the use of the oil-casks, but he did not seem to have the same confidence in the "Meteor" which Mr. Nelson exhibited, though he promised to consider the matter. It required three days to complete the preparations for raising the _Woodville_. All the ropes and rigging in the neighborhood, including many hay-ropes and clothes-lines, had been collected; the oil-casks had been conveyed over the lake in the ferry-boat, and secured within a "boom" composed of four long timbers, lashed together at the ends, forming a square, which was moored close to the Goblins; and a raft had been built, upon which the operations were to be conducted.