a compass, and remember that
land is to be found to the westward."

"Ay, ay," the engineer replied, as he looked around in vain for some
sign of the wind, and then he added in a low tone to the boys:

"I allow Mr. Walters is off in his reckonin' this time, for there isn't
a breath of air stirring now."

"We may get it later," Neal said apprehensively, and Jake muttered to
himself; but yet so loud that Teddy could hear him:

"It'll be tough on us if it comes out of the wrong quarter."

In ten minutes from the time the word had been given to bring the boats
into closer order the mantle of night had fully fallen, and the
location of the other crafts could only be told by the tiny, swaying
lights, or the hum of voices.

Jake's boat was loaded less deeply than the remainder of the little
fleet. In addition to himself and the two boys, there were but three
sailors on board, and the stock of provisions was correspondingly small.
As a natural consequence she rode higher out of the water, and although
built on the same model as the others, the engineer insisted she was by
far the fastest sailing craft.

An hour had not elapsed before it was possible to test her quality in
this respect.

The breeze which Mr. Walters predicted came up from the east, and as its
first influence was felt Jake shouted in a tone of relief:

"We're in luck this time, lads. Here's what will shove us along in the
right direction, an' we can count on striking land without too much
work. Lash a couple of coats to the oars, an' set them up close by the
forward thwart; you'll find a chance there to make 'em fast."

This apology for a sail was soon gotten in place, and, small as was the
surface presented to the wind, the little boat surged ahead, rippling
the water musically under her bow.

Jake held the rudder lines, the boys sitting either side of him on the
bottom of the boat where they could stretch out at full length in case
they felt inclined to sleep, and after they had listened to the swish of
the sea under the stern for some time Neal asked as he raised his head
to look over the side:

"Where are the others?"

"Considerable distance astern. I knew this one could show them her
heels."

"But the orders were that we must not separate," Neal exclaimed in
alarm.

"That is true; but how can we help ourselves just now? We can't shorten
sail, because there would be nothing left, and we're bound to run ahead
of the waves, small as they are,