noon
Ben was conscious , but in great pain from the broken ribs . He knew what we were going to attempt , and he was willing to trust himself to old Tom and me . And the next morning , as soon as it was light , the Wavecrest was slung over the side , her mast stepped , and the riggers got to work on her . By noon she was provisioned and everything was ready for our cruise . Ben Gibson was let down into the cockpit of the Wavecrest on a mattress and was got comfortably into the cabin without any trouble . There was a steady breeze , but the sea was calm . The crew bade us godspeed and the skipper wrung my hand hard ; but only said : `` Do the best you can for him , Webb .