"Perhaps she might, but I should rather put her on the ways from the top of the water. When I got her three feet from the bottom, I should move her toward the shore till she grounded." "What then?" asked Ben. "I should sink the canal-boats again, pump them out once more, and thus raise her three feet more; but it would take about three days every time we lifted her three feet. Ben, I think we could get her to the top of the water in about a fortnight by your plan. By mine, I shall have her up by to-morrow night." "I'll bet you won't; or in a month, either. You know too much, Lawry," said Ben. "I don't bet; but you shall see her at the ferry-landing by seven to-morrow evening if you are there." The older brother, finding himself only a cipher on the raft, had consented to run the ferry in the afternoon, when the horn sounded; and the pilot and engineer were thus enabled to continue their labor without interruption. CHAPTER X HARD AT WORK When Lawry and Ethan returned to the Goblins in the afternoon, they were delighted to find that the casks, all of which had been placed under the guards abaft the wheel, had actually produced an effect upon the steamer. The smokestack stood up more perpendicularly, indicating that the stern had been lifted from the bottom. Ethan was sure that the casks would bring the _Woodville_ to the surface; but a very serious difficulty now presented itself. About two-thirds of the length of the steamer's keel rested on a flat rock, whose surface was inclined downward toward the body of the lake, leaving the third next to the stern unsupported, under which the ropes had been easily drawn to retain the casks in their places. Of course it was impossible to draw any lines under the forward part of the keel, which rested on the flat rock, and it was necessary to devise some means for securing the casks to this portion of the hull. "I have it," said Lawry. "What is it?" "We must sink more casks under the stern." "But that will bring one end up, and leave the other on the rock." "That isn't what I mean. If we put, say, two more hogsheads under the stern, they will raise it so we can get the ropes under the forward part of the hull." "I understand; you are right, Lawry," replied Ethan. When they returned to the ferry-house, they found Mr. Sherwood and the ladies there, who had come down to ascertain what progress had been made in the work. Ben Wilford had freely expressed his opinion that the enterprise would end in failure. "Those boys know too much; that's all the trouble," said Ben. "I was in hopes they would succeed in their undertaking," added Mr. Sherwood. "So was I, sir; but there's no chance of their doing anything. I know something about steamboats, for I've been at work on them for three years." "And you are quite sure they will fail?" asked Mr. Sherwood.