"I don't know. Maybe someday. When I'm older," Prudence said.
"Older? You're eleven now. You'll be a woman soon."
"Let's discuss this later," Rebecca said. "After we have time to think about it."
"Fine," Samantha said, "but you two are making a big mistake."
They said nothing the rest of the way to the beach. As they neared the Lady Jane, Wendell came trotting over to them. "That looks about right," he said. He motioned to a rock on the beach. "We have the fulcrum already."
"Fulcrum?"
"That's what it's called."
"How do you know that?"
"Your uncle said so."
"The kid is pretty smart," Uncle Hector said from on the deck of the boat. "I'm not sure if this goo of his will work or not. We'll have to give it a trial."
"What about the motor?"
"I think I can coax her into working. There's not much gas left, but should be enough to get her to shore and maybe to get her back out."
"That's good," Samantha said. "Then we can get out of here. Some of us."
She looked at Prudence and Rebecca, but they said nothing. They only began to unwrap the netting from the rafter. With the help of Wendell, Uncle Hector, and the other younger boys, they managed to get the rafter propped beneath the front of the ship.
"Now, we have to do this all at once," Wendell said. "Once it gets loose, then Mr. Delgado can turn on the motor."
Uncle Hector nodded. He waded back into the water so he could climb aboard the boat again. Once he was on board, he waved to them. "Let's do it, kids."
"On the count of three," Samantha said. She and the other children took up positions along both sides of the rafter. "One…two…three!"
As one they leaned against the rafter, all of them groaning from the effort. The lever began to move. "Keep going!" Samantha shouted.
"Almost there, kids!"
With one final groan, Samantha and the others pushed the rafter all the way down to the ground. As Wendell had predicted, the bow of the boat had lifted enough to free it from the rocks. It didn't take long for the tide to carry it back out to sea. Wendell and Uncle Hector had prepared for this by tying a rope from the bow to an outcropping of rock. That would keep the boat tethered enough so it wouldn't float away.
Uncle Hector had disappeared from view so he could get the motor started. Samantha held her breath as she watched the Lady Jane float farther away, until it strained against its tether. "Come on, Uncle Hector," she whispered. If this didn't work, their only hope of reaching the mainland might be gone, not to mention Uncle Hector might be swept out to sea and drown. "Please, God, let this work."