In a few seconds he
too, reappeared, bearing in his right hand, not a firelock,
but the two missing cartouch boxes.
"Better luck next time," remarked corporal Nixon. "I
think my lads, if two of you were to separate the weeds
with your hands, so as to clear each musket, the other
might easily bring it up."
The suggestion of the corporal was at once acted upon,
but it was not, until after repeated attempts had been
made to liberate the arms, from their Web-like canopy,
that two were finally brought up and placed in the boat.
The third they groped for in vain, until at length, the
men, dispirited and tired, declared it was utterly useless
to prosecute the search, and that the other musket must
be given up as lost.
This, however, did not suit the views of the correct
corporal. He said, pointedly, that he would almost as
soon return without his head as without his arms, and
that the day having been thus far spent without the
accomplishment of the object for which they were there,
he was determined to devote the remainder to the search.
Not being a bad diver himself, although he had not hitherto
deemed it necessary to add his exertions to those of his
comrades, he now stripped, desiring those who had preceded
him to throw on their shirts and rest themselves for
another plunge, when he should have succeeded in finding
out where the missing musket had lodged.
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