Slip the other cable, boy." Joe
agreed; the anchor was lost, and the men prepared for the first creak
that would show that the tide was coming. The sea seemed to be fining
off a bit, so they looked round, and found to their horror that the
rudder was gone. She wallowed. "There she goes, Bill. But Lord, what a
job! Tell you, the smack must go under bare poles; we'll make her fast
aft, and she'll steer us."
This was a genuine seamanlike idea, for, of course, the drag of the
smack would steady the barque, and the two vessels could crawl along
with some approach to surety. Another roll and groaning of timbers, then
came a lull and a flaw of wind; the topsail pulled, and, with a long
grind, the barque rolled off into deep water.
"Hooray! Let her drift as she likes till the skipper gets to us."
Bill jumped into the boat and guided her down wind to the Esperanza. The
smack came close round, another hand joined Bill, and in half an hour a
couple of warps were made fast to the Spaniard, and the two vessels went
on in procession.
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