es, it is rayther lucky; but then there wan't any danger o' that,
cos, you see, I kep the vessel off by night, an the danger couldn't hev
riz. I thought we were a mile further up the bay; we've been a doin
better than I thought for."

"Shall we be able to get into Quaco any sooner?"

"Wal, not much."

"I thought from what you said that we were a mile nearer."

"So we air, but that don't make any very great difference."

"Why, we ought to get in all the sooner, I should think."

"No; not much."

"Why not? I don't understand that."

"Wal, you see it's low tide now."

"The tides again!"

"Yes; it's allus the tides that you must consider here. Wal, it's low
tide now, an the tide's already on the turn, an risin. We've got to
anchor."

"Anchor!"

"Yes."

"What, again?"

"Yes, agin. Even so. Ef we didn't anchor we'd only be drifted up
again, ever so far, an lose all that we've ben a gainin. We're not
more'n a mile above Quaco Harbor, but we can't fetch it with wind an
tide agin us; so we've got to put out some distance an anchor. It's my
firm belief that we'll be in Quaco by noon. The next fallin tide will
carry us thar as slick as a whistle, an then we can pursue our
investigations."

The schooner now held on her course for about a mile away from the
shore, and then came to anchor. The boys had for a moment lost sight
of this unpleasant necessity, and had forgotten that they had been
using up the hours of the ebb tide while asleep. There was no help for
it, however, and they found, to their disgust, another day of fog, and
of inaction.

Time passed, and breakfast came. Solomon now had the satisfaction of
seeing them eat more, and gave manifest signs of that satisfaction by
the twinkle of his eye and the lustre of his ebony brow. After this
the time passed on slowly and heavily; but at length eleven o'clock
came, and passed, and in a short time they were once more under way.

"We're going to Quaco now--arn't we?" asked Phil.

"Yes; right straight on into Quaco Harbor, fair an squar."

"I don't see how it's possible for you to know so perfectly where you
are."

"Young sir, there ain't a nook, nor a corner, nor a hole, nor a stun,
in all the outlinin an configoortion of this here bay but what's mapped
out an laid down all c'rect in this here brain. I'd undertake to
navigate these waters from year's end to year's end, ef I was never to
see the sun at all, an even ef I was to be perpetooly