these eatables, quite half of which were still in a state to be eaten.  They were Biddy’s delight; and it was seldom that she could be seen when not nibbling at one of them.  The bread of the crew was hopelessly damaged.  But Jack had made an ample provision of bread when sent ashore, and there was still a hundred barrels of the flour in the schooner’s hold.  One of these had been hoisted on deck by Mulford, and opened.  The injured flour was easily removed, leaving a considerable quantity fit for the uses of the kitchen.  As for the keg of gunpowder, it was incontinently committed to the deep.

Thus provided for, Mulford decided that the time had arrived when he ought to quit his anchorage.  He had been employed most of that morning in getting the schooner’s anchor, a work of great toil to him, though everybody had assisted.  He had succeeded, and the vessel now rode by a kedge, that he could easily weigh by means of a deck tackle.  It remained now, therefore, to lift this kedge and to stand out of the bay of the islets.  No sooner was the boat secured astern, and its freight disposed of, than the mate began to make sail.  In order to hoist the mainsail well up, he was obliged to carry the halyards to the windlass.  Thus aided, he succeeded without much difficulty.  He and Jack Tier and Biddy got the jib hoisted by hand; and as for the fore-sail, that would almost set itself.  Of course, it was not touched until the kedge was aweigh.  Mulford found little difficulty in lifting the last, and he soon had the satisfaction of finding his craft clear of the ground.  As Jack Tier was every way competent to take charge of the forecastle, Mulford now sprang aft, and took his own station at the helm; Rose acting as his pretty assistant on the quarter-deck.

There is little mystery in getting a fore-and-aft vessel under way.  Her sails fill almost as a matter of course, and motion follows as a necessary law.  Thus did it prove with the Mexican schooner, which turned out to be a fast-sailing and an easily-worked craft.  She was, indeed, an American bottom, as it is termed, having been originally built for the Chesapeake; and, though not absolutely what is understood by a Baltimore clipper, so nearly of that mould and nature as to possess some of the more essential qualities.  As usually happens, however, when a foreigner gets hold of an American schooner, the Mexicans had shortened her masts and lessened her canvas.  This circumstance was rather an advantage to Mulford, who would probably have had more to attend to than he wished under the original rig of the craft.