This much must be said of the crew of the Molly Swash—­whatever they did in their own profession, they did intelligently and well.  On the present occasion they maintained their claim to this character, and were both active and expert.  The hatches were soon on, and, in an imperfect manner, caulked.  While this was doing, the carpenter got into a boat, and going under the schooner’s bows, where a whole plank was out of water, he chose a spot between two of the timbers, and bored a hole as near the surface of the water as he dared to do.  Not satisfied with one hole, however, he bored many—­choosing both sides of the vessel to make them, and putting some aft as well as forward.  In a word, in the course of twenty minutes the schooner was tapped in at least a dozen places, and jets of water, two inches in diameter, were spouting from her on each bow, and under each quarter.

Spike and Mulford noted the effect.  Some water, doubtless, still worked itself into the vessel about the main-hatch, but that more flowed from her by means of the outlets just named, was quite apparent.  After close watching at the outlets for some time, Spike was convinced that the schooner was slowly rising, the intense strain that still came from the brig producing that effect as the vessel gradually became lighter.  By the end of half an hour, there could be no longer any doubt, the holes, which had been bored within an inch of the water, being now fully two inches above it.  The auger was applied anew, still nearer to the surface of the sea, and as fresh outlets were made, those that began to manifest a dulness in their streams were carefully plugged.

Spike now thought it was time to take a look at the state of things on deck.  Here, to his joy, he ascertained that the coamings had actually risen a little above the water.  The reader is not to suppose by this rising of the vessel, that she had become sufficiently buoyant, in consequence of the water that had run out of her, to float of herself.  This was far from being the case; but the constant upward pressure from the brig, which, on mechanical principles, tended constantly to bring that craft upright, had the effect to lift the schooner as the latter was gradually relieved from the weight that pressed her toward the bottom.

The hatches were next removed, when it was found that the water in the schooner’s hold had so far lowered, as to leave a vacant space of quite a foot between the lowest part of the deck and its surface.  Toward the two extremities of the vessel this space necessarily was much increased, in consequence of the sheer.  Men were now sent into the hatchway with orders to hook on to the flour-barrels—­a whip having been rigged in readiness to hoist them on deck.  At the same time gangs were sent to the pumps, though Spike still depended for getting rid of the water somewhat on the auger—­the carpenter continuing to bore and plug his holes as new opportunities offered, and the old outlets became useless.  It was true this expedient would soon cease, for the water having found its level in the vessel’s hold, was very nearly on a level also with that on the outside.  Bailing also was commenced, both forward and aft.