Fort Desolation | Page 5

not a sloop.

"Oh! ye shall nevair git him off," said Francois Xavier, one of the three
men--a French-Canadian--on beholding the stranded vessel.
"We'll try," said Pierre, another of the three men, and a burly
half-breed.
"Try!" exclaimed Rollo, the third of the three men--a tall, powerful,
ill-favoured man, who was somewhat of a bully, who could not tell
where he had been born, and did not know who his father and mother
had been, having been forsaken by them in his infancy. "Try? you
might as well try to lift a mountain! I've a mind to go straight back to
Kamenistaquoia and tell Mr Murray that to his face!"
"Have you?" said Jack Robinson, in a quiet, peculiar tone, accompanied
by a gaze that had the effect of causing Rollo to look a little confused.
"Come along, lads, we'll begin at once," he continued, "it will be full
tide in an hour or so. Get the tackle ready, Francois; the rest of you set
to work, and clear away the stones and rubbish from under her sides."
Jack threw off his coat, and began to work like a hero--as he was. The
others followed his example; and the result was that when the tide rose
to its full height the sloop was freed of all the rubbish that had collected
round the hull; the block tackle was affixed to the mast; the rope
attached to a tree on the opposite side of the creek; and the party were
ready to haul. But although they hauled until their sinews cracked, and
the large veins of their necks and foreheads swelled almost to bursting,
the sloop did not move an inch. The tide began to fall, and in a few
minutes that opportunity was gone. There were not many such tides to
count on, so Jack applied all his energies and ingenuity to the work. By
the time the next tide rose they had felled two large pines, and applied
them to the side of the vessel. Two of the party swung at the ends of
these; the other two hauled on the block-tackle. This time the sloop
moved a little at the full flood; but the moment of hope soon passed,
and the end was not yet attained.
The next tide was the last high one. They worked like desperate men
during the interval. The wedge was the mechanical power which
prevailed at last. Several wedges were inserted under the vessel's side,

and driven home. Thus the sloop was canted over a little towards the
water. When the tide was at the full, one man hauled at the tackle, two
men swung at the ends of the levers, and Jack hammered home the
wedges at each heave and pull; thus securing every inch of movement.
The result was that the sloop slid slowly down the bank into deep
water.
It is wonderful how small a matter will arouse human enthusiasm! The
cheer that was given on the successful floating of the Fairy was
certainly as full of fervour, if not of volume, as that which followed the
launching of the Great Eastern.
Setting sail down the gulf they ran before a fair breeze which speedily
increased to a favouring gale. Before night a small bay was descried,
with three log-huts on the shore. This was the new fort. They ran into
the bay, grazing a smooth rock in their passage, which caused the Fairy
to tremble from stem to stern, and cast anchor close to a wooden jetty.
On the end of this a solitary individual, (apparently a maniac), was seen
capering and yelling wildly.
"What fort is this?" shouted Jack.
"Sorrow wan o' me knows," cried the maniac; "it's niver been
christened yet. Faix, if it's a fort at all, I'd call it Fort Disolation. Och!
but it's lonesome I've been these three days--niver a wan here but
meself an' the ghosts. Come ashore, darlints, and comfort me!"
"Fort Desolation, indeed!" muttered Jack Robinson, as he looked round
him sadly; "not a bad name. I'll adopt it. Lower the boat, lads."
Thus Jack took possession of his new home.
CHAPTER THREE.
DOMESTIC AND PERSONAL MATTERS.
Jack Robinson's first proceeding on entering the new fort and assuming
the command, was to summon the man, (supposed to be a maniac),

named Teddy O'Donel, to his presence in the "Hall."
"Your name is Teddy O'Donel?" said Jack.
"The same, sir, at your sarvice," said Teddy, with a respectful pull at
his forelock. "They was used to call me Mister O'Donel when I was in
the army, but I've guv that up long ago an' dropped the title wid the
commission."
"Indeed: then you were a commissioned officer?" inquired Jack, with a
smile.
"Be no manes. It was a slight longer title than that I had.