Himself he saw a surf-boat lowered into the water and manned by black
Krooboy paddlers; himself he saw his two employers down on the thwarts,
and then followed them; and himself he sat beside the head-man who
straddled in the stern sheets at the steering oar, and gave him minute
directions.

The boat was avoiding the bay altogether. She was making for the strip
of sand in front of the cable station, and except when she was
shouldered up on the back of a roller, the goal was out of sight all
the time.

"There's a rare swell running, and it's a mighty bad beach to-night,"
Kettle commented. "I hope you gentlemen can swim, for the odds are
you'll have to do it inside the next ten minutes."

"If we are spilt getting ashore," said White, "how do you say we'll get
off again?"

"The Lord knows," said Kettle.

"Well, you're a cheerful companion, anyway."

"I wasn't paid for a yacht skippering job and asked to say nice things
which weren't true. But if you don't fancy the prospect, go back and try
a trade that's less risky. You mayn't like honest work, but it strikes
me this kind of contract's out your weight anyway."

The Jew looked as if he would like to let loose his tongue, and perhaps
handle a weapon, but his motto was "business first," and he could not
afford to have an open fracas with Kettle then. So he swallowed his
resentment, and said, "Get on," and clung dizzily on to his thwart.

As each roller passed tinder her, the surf-boat swooped higher and
higher, and the laboring paddles seemed to give her less and less
momentum. The head-man strained at the steering oar. The Krooboys had
hard work to keep their perches on the gunwale.

At last the head-man shouted, and the paddles ceased. They were waiting
for a smooth. Roller after roller swept under them, and the boat rode
them dizzily, but kept her place just beyond the outer edge of the surf.
From over his shoulder, the head-man watched the charging seas with
animal intentness. Then with a sudden shriek he gave the word, and the
paddles stabbed the water into spray. The heavy boat rushed forward
again, and a great towering sea rushed after her. It reared her up,
stern uppermost, and passed, leaving her half swamped by its foaming
passage; and then came another sea, and the boat broached to and spilt.
The Krooboys jumped like black frogs from either gunwale, and Kettle
jumped also, and made his way easily to the sand, being used to this
experience. But Sheriff