Some ran aloft with tackles, which they made fast to the starboard fore and main yard-arms; others hooked on tackles to the straps which were already round the tressel-tree and collar of the mainstay. But willingly as they worked, even these preliminary measures ran into a great deal of time, and before they had done, a light breeze had come down on the ship and taken her aback. The carpenter, seeing this, clapped some hands on to the fore and mizzen braces, and filled the fore and after sails. The ship was therefore hove to with her head at west. This done, he went to the wheel, put the helm amidship and made it fast; and then went forward again to superintend the work. I took up my position on the starboard side of the poop, close against the ladder, and there I remained. I scanned the faces of the men carefully, and found all hands present, including the cook. I thus knew that no man was below in the hold, and it was now my business to watch closely that I might miss the man who should have the job to scuttle the ship. The breeze died away, but in the same direction whence it had come was another shadow, more defined and extending far to the north. The men had begun their work late, and as they knew that they had little or no twilight to count upon, laboured hard at the difficult task of raising the long-boat out of her chucks and swinging her clear of the bulwarks. It was close upon seven o'clock before they were ready to hoist. They took the end of one fall to the capstan on the main-deck, the other they led forward through a block, and presently up rose the boat until it was on a level with the bulwarks. Then the yard-arm tackles were manned, the midship falls slacked off, and the big boat sank gently down into the water. She was brought alongside at once, and three men jumped into her. Then began the process of storing the provisions. This was carried on by five men, while the remaining three came aft, and whilst one got into the quarter-boat, the other two lowered her. _At this moment I missed the carpenter._ I held my breath, looking into the boats and all round. He was not to be seen. I strained my ear at the foremost skylight, conceiving that he might have entered the cuddy. All was silent there. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, he it was who had planned the scuttling of the ship, and he it was who had left the deck to do it. It was a supreme moment. I had not contemplated that _he_ would be the man who should bore the hole. If the boatswain killed him----! Great God! the hands were on deck--all about us! If he did not return, they would seek him. He was their leader, and they were not likely to quit the ship without him. The hair stirred on my head; the sweat stood in beads on my face. I bit my lip half through to control my features, and stood waiting for--I knew not what! CHAPTER X.