As soon, however, as the light began to steal down, and the movement above head told them that the crew were at work washing the decks, the points of the irons were used to wrench away the wood between the saw cuts; and the work then proceeded briskly, as they relieved each other every few minutes.
At last, to their intense satisfaction, three more irons were got out.
"If anyone had told me," one of the party said, "that a man's arms could hurt as much as mine do, from working a few hours, I should have disbelieved him." There was a chorus of assent, for none were accustomed to hard manual labour, and the pain in their arms was excessive.
"Let us have half an hour's rest, Francis, before you issue your next orders.

I shall want that, at least, before I feel that I have any power in my arms at all." "We will have an hour's rest, Matteo, if you like.

Before that time they will be sending us down our food, and after we have breakfasted we can set to work again." "Breakfast!" one of the young men groaned.

"I cannot call that black bread and water breakfast.

When I think of the breakfasts I have eaten, when I think of the dishes I have refused to eat, because they were not cooked to perfection, I groan over my folly in those days, and my enormous stupidity in ever volunteering to come to sea." "I should recommend you all," Francis said, "to spend the next hour in rubbing and squeezing the muscles of your neighbours' arms and shoulders.