pical Smoky Sea fog, a wet, dense, Bering blanket. From his
station near the stern, Martin could not see the rail at the break of
the poop, could hardly, indeed, discern objects a dozen paces distant.
Familiar figures, entering his circle of vision, loomed gigantic and
grotesque. The _Cohasset_ sailed over a ghostly sea, whose quiet was
broken only by the harsh squawking of sea-birds flying high overhead.

Of recent weeks, Martin had become accustomed to fog. But there was
about this fog a peculiarity foreign to his experience, though he had
been informed during the cabin talks of the frequent occurrence of this
particular brand of mist in these waters. For, though Martin, standing
on deck, was surrounded by an impervious wall of fog that pressed upon
him, though he could not see the water overside or forward for a
quarter of the little vessel's length, yet he could bend back his head
and see quite plainly the round ball of the sun glowing dully through
the whitening mist overhead.

He understood the wherefor. The fog was a low-lying bank, and thirty
feet or so above his head it ended. He could not, from the wheel,
distinguish the upper hamper, but he knew the topmasts were free of the
mist that shrouded the deck. Presently, from overhead, and ghostily
piercing the gray veil, came Ruth's clear hail. She ordered him to
shift the course a couple of points. So he knew his officer was aloft,
up there in the sunshine, in a position that enabled her to direct
their course.

In such a fashion, creeping through the fog, the _Cohasset_ came at
last to Fire Mountain. The fog delayed, but did not daunt, the
mariners of the happy family.

After the hurried noon meal, Ruth returned to her station aloft and
resumed conning the vessel by remembered landmarks on the mountain's
face. On deck, Martin, in company with his fellows, labored under the
boatswain's lurid driving to prepare the ship for anchoring. They
cockbilled the great hooks, overhauled the cables, and coiled down
running braces and halyards; for, said the captain, attending upon
their bustle with his abnormally sharp ears:

"It's a wide breach in the reef that makes the cove, and the water is
deep right up to the beach. The lass should have no trouble conning us
in, for she has a clean view aloft. But just have everything ready for
quick work, bosun, in case we get into trouble."

Hence it was that Martin, a-tingle though he was with curiosity, found
n