himself of a little wit; "muskets will be of far more
use to us just now than pikes. We must fish them up--there
will be the devil to pay if we go home without them."

"Then there's no other way than diving for them," said
Jackson, still looking downwards. "Not even the glitter
of a barrel can I see. They must have buried themselves
in the weeds. I say, Weston," slightly raising his head
and turning his face to the party named, "You're a good
diver?"

"Yes, and Collins is better than me."

"Well then, here's at it," resumed Jackson, rising and
commencing to strip. "It's only by groping and feeling
that we can find the arms, and when once we've tumbled
on 'em, it will be easy enough to get 'em up with one
hand, while we swim with the other. We must plunge here
from the stern," he added, as the men whom he had named
jumped on board and commenced stripping themselves.

"How came the Injin to knock the muskets overboard,
Corporal?" inquired one of the party who had not yet
spoken--a fat, portly man, with a long hooked nose, and
a peaked chin.

"I'm dashed," replied Nixon, "if I can tell myself, though
I was looking at him as he jumped from one end of the
boat to the other. All I know is, the firelocks were
propped against the stern of the boat as we placed them,