As soon as he was able to gasp he helped his comrades into the little boat, and called out:-- “Pull away on the string, boys, as fast as you can, otherwise the current will carry it out from under the boat, at one end or the other.” They obeyed promptly and presently had the end of the rope in their grasp. Pulling upon this, they succeeded in getting the edge of the tarpaulin under the starboard side of the flatboat. But there the thing stuck, and their tugging at the rope only resulted in drawing their skiff up to the flatboat’s side. Phil quickly saw that “pulling without a purchase” was futile. He called out:-- “Row to that tree yonder, and we’ll make fast to it.” When that was done the pulling was resumed, this time “with a purchase.” But it was of no avail. The tarpaulin was drawn halfway under the boat, but there it stuck. After a little Phil evolved a new idea. Releasing the skiff, he rowed to the flatboat and directed Irv to go aboard. Then returning to his former position, he again made the skiff fast to the tree. “Now, Irv,” he called out, “you and Ed go below and bring up two or three barrels of flour.” “What for?” asked Ed. “Never mind what for. Do it quick,” was the answer. When the barrels of flour were on deck, Phil said:-- “Find the middle of the tarpaulin as nearly as you can, and roll a barrel of flour overboard into it.” The thing was quickly done. The weight of the barrel of flour caused the tarpaulin to sink below the flatboat’s bottom, and it became possible to drag it under her for a further space. “Roll another barrel overboard,” said the captain, when the tarpaulin refused to come farther. This enabled the boys to drag the sheet still farther, and finally, with the aid of a third barrel, they brought its edge ten feet beyond the gunwale. “Now,” said Phil, “we’ve got to spill those flour barrels out of the cloth, or it won’t come up to the boat’s bottom and stop the leaks.” How to do this was a puzzle. After studying the problem for a while, Phil directed Ed and Irv on board the flatboat, and Will and Constant in the skiff, to relax the tension on the great square of sailcloth. “I’m going down on top of it,” he said, “to push the barrels off.” “But when you do that, it’ll close up to the bottom of the boat and catch you in it,” said Will. “Don’t think of doing that!” “I must,” said Phil, “we’re sinking; it’s our only chance, and I must take the risk. Let me have your big knife, Constant.” “What are you going to do with it?” asked the boy, as he handed it to Phil. “Cut my way out if I can, or perhaps cut a way out for the flour barrels. Good-by, boys, if I never get back. And thank you for everything.” With that he stepped upon the tarpaulin and slid down it under the boat. Presently he came back, gasping and struggling.