John Hart was something of a shipwright in a small way, and they had brought carpenters and calking tools along.
They, in turn, busily engaged at their work, were taken by surprise all of a sudden at the appearance of Joe Hinman and his crew, tearing down upon them, half-dressed, and their eyes wide with amazement and indignation.
Here, thats our boat, cried Joe, rushing up to them, panting for breath. Youve got no right to touch it. We raised it.
John Hart, with sleeves rolled up, displaying a pair of brawny arms, looked at the crew sneeringly. They were certainly not formidable as against himself and his two comrades, to say nothing of young Harry Brackett.
You raised it! he exclaimed, roughly. Thats a likely story. What did you raise her with your hands? Youre a fine wrecking-crew. Why, we had this boat out on shore two days ago. What are you interfering with us for?
Now, see here, said Joe Hinman, that wont work, so you better not try it. There are too many on our side. And he narrated, rapidly, the history of the raising of the Surprise
by the Warrens and Henry Burns and Harvey and himself and crew.
John Hart and his comrades seemed a bit nonplussed at this. It did put a different phase upon the matter. They looked at one another inquiringly for a moment. But they were rough fellows, not given to weighing evidence critically. Might was right with them if it could be carried through.
Thats a lie! exclaimed John Hart, suddenly, advancing toward Joe Hinman. You think you can fool us with your city ways, but youd better look out. Where are all these fine youngsters that you say raised the boat? This boat is ours, because we saved her. You get out and dont come around bothering, because we wont stand any nonsense.
There was no present hope for Joe and his crew. They were clearly outmatched. They withdrew, therefore, to the shed, cooked their breakfast and ate it with diminished appetites.
What will Jack say, remarked Little Tim, ruefully, if he gets here and finds the boat gone? We cant get away to give the alarm, either. Weve got to stay here till he comes back.
Never mind, exclaimed Joe, bitterly. They cant keep it long. Well prove in the end that we saved her.
Yes, but that means half the summer wasted in fighting over it, said George Baker, despondently. You see, when one person gets hold of a thing, that gives him some advantage. They will have that boat afloat, and rigged, before they can be sued.
The task of making the Surprise tight enough to float was, however, not to be so easy as it might appear at first glance. It was a nice and particular job fitting in new planking where the hole had been stove. It took a good part of the day, though John Hart and his comrades worked industriously.
Then it was apparent that the yacht had strained all along her bilge badly and about the centreboard, so that it would require all of another day to calk her and set the nails that had been wrenched loose. By evening of the next day, however, she was ready for hauling off, in the opinion of John Hart; and they would do that in the morning and tow her back to Southport.
But they had not reckoned wholly with Joe and his crew. Finding themselves outmatched in strength, these youngsters had wandered disconsolately about the little island for the last two days, fishing and swimming and passing the time as best they could; watching eagerly out through the Thoroughfare, in hopes that Harvey and Henry Burns and the others might put in an appearance; and all the while keeping sharp watch of the progress of work upon the Surprise .
Hart and the other three, fearing no interruption from the boys, had ignored them. At night they went out aboard the Seagull , where they had provided temporary quarters for all four of them by stretching the mainsail over the boom for a shelter, and tying it to the rail at the edges.
Theyre all ready to haul her off in the morning, I think, said Joe Hinman, as the boys sat gloomily by the door of the shed on the evening of the second day after the arrival of the men. I heard them singing and laughing out aboard, and saying something about to-morrow and Southport. Oh, if there was only another days work on her, the boys might get here in time yet.
Then Ill keep her here another day, exclaimed Little Tim, if they beat me black and blue for it.
You cant do it, said Joe.
Cant I, though? responded Tim. Well, watch me and see. Will you fellows help?
The boys assented, not to be outdone in courage by the smallest one of them.
We can do it, said Little Tim. They leave their tools aboard the cabin of the Surprise at night. I saw John Hart put the box in there before he went out aboard. He said another hours work would fix something or other. I couldnt hear what. But well fix her so it will take longer than that, I reckon.
O-o-oh! exclaimed George Baker. But well catch it, though, when they find it out.
All right, said Tim. Ill take my share if the rest will.
Again the others assented somewhat dubiously.