Old rags from the house
and parts of the men's clothing supplied calking, upon which the
tar was smeared. While one man shaped mast and oars, another cut
Esteban's shelter tent into a sail, and fitted it. A stiff, sun-
dried cowhide was wet, then stretched and nailed to the gunwales
at the bow, forming a sort of forward deck to shelter the sick man
from the sun and rain. Jacket climbed the near-by cocoa-palms and
threw down a plentiful supply of nuts for food and water on the
voyage.
With so many hands the work went fast, and late that evening the
crazy craft was launched. It was necessary to handle her gingerly,
and when she took the water she leaked abominably. But during the
night she swelled and in the morning it was possible to bail her
out.
O'Reilly had to acknowledge himself but poorly pleased with the
boat. Branch called her a coffin and declared it was suicide to
venture to sea in her, an opinion shared by the Cubans, but the
girls were enchanted. To them this fragile bark looked stout and
worthy; they were in a fever to be gone.
On the second afternoon the trade-wind died to a gentle zephyr, so
the cocoanuts and other food were quickly put aboard, a bed of
bows was rigged beneath the rawhide forecastle and Esteban was
laid upon it. Then adieux were said and a start was made.
From the point of leaving it was perhaps five miles across the
sound to the fringe of keys which in this neighborhood bordered
the old Bahama Channel with its unplumbed depths of blue water.
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