rejoined Harry and me; "that is to say, if the wind holds as it
is; but if not, the chances of our hauling off the shore are doubtful."

For some minutes the ship stood on with her head to the north-west, all
hands anxiously watching the sails, and casting a look every now and
then towards the dark outline of the shore, which could be distinguished
through the gloom. The current was all this time drifting us to the
northward, but it appeared to me that we were getting no farther from
the coast. Of that, however, it was difficult to judge by the rate at
which we were sailing, as although she might be moving fast through the
water, she might really be making but little way over the ground. Tubbs
several times went aft to the binnacle.

"She has fallen off two points, I'm sorry to say," he observed; "still
it is possible that we may beat off, as the wind may shift again; but I
wish that it had kept steady, and we should have done it."

Scarcely, however, had he spoken, when the sails gave a loud flap.

"No higher!" shouted the mate to the man at the helm, "or you'll have
her aback."

The helm was put up in time to prevent this danger.

On looking over the starboard side, we now saw that the land was broad
on the beam, and that we were thus standing almost parallel with the
coast, towards which it was too evident that the heavy rollers were
gradually setting us. Still it was possible, as Tubbs thought, to keep
off the shore until daylight, when the mouth of a river might be
discovered and we might run into it; or the wind might again shift, and
we should, once more, be able to stand off, and get to a safe distance
from the hungry breakers, which we could hear roaring under our lee. I
was struck by the change which had come over the crew. Generally, when
on deck together, they were shouting and swearing, and exchanging rough
jokes or laughing loudly. Now scarcely a man spoke, all stood at their
stations turning their gaze towards the shore. It was evident they were
fully aware of the dangerous position in which the ship was placed. I
asked Tubbs how long he thought the ship could be kept off the land,
standing as she was now.

"Oh, maybe for half an hour, maybe for less," he answered. "The current
is sending her along at the rate of two or three knots an hour, and we
may fall in with some headland which we are unable to weather, or we may
find ourselves standing across a wide bay which will lengthen the time