she would
capsize. Now and then a sea broke over the gunwale and a crouching
half-breed desperately threw out the water. Another sat on a beam in the
high stern and his pose was strangely tense. But for all Agatha's trust
in Thirlwell, it was daunting to watch the laboring craft and the seas
that threatened to swamp her. They looked worse when one saw their
hollow fronts and raging crests, and Agatha fixed her eyes ahead.

The haze was thinning and now and then the blurred outline of trees
broke through; but one belt of forest looked like another and she
speculated with some uneasiness about the chance of Thirlwell's finding
the river. If he did not find it, they would run some risk, because the
men could not paddle to windward and the canoes might be smashed on a
steep, rocky beach. They ran on, and sometimes the trees got plainer and
sometimes vanished, but at length, when a savage gust rolled the haze
away, Agatha saw an unbroken line of rocks and foam. It looked very
forbidding and she wondered what Thirlwell would do.

"Sit as far as you can to windward," he shouted, and while she awkwardly
obeyed the half-breed got up on the side of the canoe.

Agatha understood what this meant. Thirlwell had missed the river mouth
and meant to skirt the coast, but when he tried to do so the wind would
be abeam and its power to heel the canoe largely increased. So far, they
had run before the gale, but to bring the craft's side to it was a
different thing.

She set her lips as she watched Thirlwell haul the spritsail sheet. He
was cautious and for a few moments brought the craft's head up with the
paddle and kept the small sail fluttering. Then he let her go and she
lurched down until her side amidships was in the water. To Agatha's
surprise, not much came on board; it looked as if they were going too
fast and the lee bow was the dangerous spot. In the plunges, the waves
boiled up there, and one could feel the canoe tremble as she lurched
over the tumbling foam. Then Agatha noted that Thirlwell was not
steering with the gale quite abeam; he was edging the craft to windward
as far as he could, but the beach got nearer and it was plain that they
were drifting sideways while they forged ahead. Agatha began to doubt if
he could keep them off the rocks.

He did not look disturbed. His glance was fixed to windward and his
movements were strangely quick. Agatha saw that he kept the canoe from
capsizing by the skilful use of paddle a