The engine was set to work to squirt water thickened with cutch, and the beautiful white sails were stained in patches, and then roughly furled.
Towards evening, when the sea appeared to be without a sail in sight, we lay-to; platforms were got over the side, and men hung over with their paint-pots and brushes, working with all their might to paint out the streak, while others smeared over the gilding and name at the stern, but with a thin water-colour which would easily wash off.
Then came the turn of the great funnel, which was painted of a dirty black.

The bright brass rails were dulled, ropes hung loosely, and in every way possible the trim gunboat was disfigured and altered, so that at a short distance even it would have been impossible to recognise her as the smart vessel that had started from the neighbourhood of the burned ship so short a time before.
But even then Mr Reardon did not seem to be satisfied, for he set the men to work hauling water casks from the hold, and make a pile of them amidships.

Lastly, a couple of the boats were turned bottom upward on improvised chocks placed over the deck-house and galley.
I have not mentioned the guns, though.

These were completely hidden, the lesser pieces being drawn back, and spare sails thrown over the two big guns forward.
"There," said Mr Reardon quietly to me; "what do you say to that, Mr Herrick?
Think this will deceive them ?" "There's one more thing I should do, sir," I said, as I looked aloft.
"One more?
Nonsense; there is nothing more to be done." "Yes, sir," I said, smiling; "I'd have some shirts and trousers hung up in the rigging to dry, just as if the men had been having a wash." "To be sure," he cried.

"What else ?" "It wouldn't be bad if we could catch a few big fish, and let them be hanging over the stern rail as if to keep them fresh." "I'll set Mr Barkins and Mr Smith to try and catch some," he said eagerly.