p would have strained on her anchor under the cutwater.
Her captain had contented himself with lying-to.

The stranger, who was a coast-guardman, as was apparent from his uniform
cape, watched all the movements of the three-master, and seemed to note
them mentally. The vessel was lying-to, a little off the wind, which was
indicated by the backing of the small topsail, and the bellying of the
main-topsail. She had squared the mizen, and set the topmast as close as
possible, and in such a manner as to work the sails against each other,
and to make little way either on or off shore. Her captain evidently did
not care to expose his vessel much to the wind, for he had only braced
up the small mizen-topsail. In this way, coming crossway on, he did not
drift at the utmost more than half a league an hour.

It was still broad daylight, particularly on the open sea, and on the
heights of the cliff. The shores below were becoming dark.

The coast-guardman, still engaged in his duty, and carefully scanning
the offing, had not thought of observing the rocks at his side and at
his feet. He turned his back towards the difficult sort of causeway
which formed the communication between his resting-place and the shore.
He did not, therefore, remark that something was moving in that
direction. Behind a fragment of rock, among the steps of that causeway,
something like the figure of a man had been concealed, according to all
appearances, since the arrival of the coast-guardman. From time to time
a head issued from the shadow behind the rock; looked up and watched the
watcher. The head, surmounted by a wide-brimmed American hat, was that
of the Quaker-looking man, who, ten days before, was talking among the
stones of the Petit-Bey to Captain Zuela.

Suddenly, the curiosity of the coast-guardman seemed to be still more
strongly awakened. He polished the glass of his telescope quickly with
his sleeve, and brought it to bear closely upon the three-master.

A little black spot seemed to detach itself from her side.

The black spot, looking like a small insect upon the water, was a boat.

The boat seemed to be making for the shore. It was manned by several
sailors, who were pulling vigorously.

She pulled crosswise by little and little, and appeared to be
approaching the Pointe du Decolle.

The gaze of the coast-guardman seemed to have reached its most intense
point. No movement of the boat escaped it. He had approached nearer
still to t