n a sea-going boat like this with ten
sitters in her. We shall want all our strength to get back, you may be
sure. There must be a strong current against us, and there is little
chance of our being back, as we hoped, by dinner-time."

After the men had had half an hour's rest Mr. Ryan told them to take
their seats and double bank the oars.

"We shall travel all the faster," he said to Mr. Atherton, "and now that
they have got their wind again it is far better that they should be
rowing than sitting still. The guns are a good deal nearer now. I do not
think that the ship can be more than a mile or a mile and a half away."

"I do not suppose she is," Mr. Atherton replied. "I think I will fire
off my rifle two or three times. They ought to be able to hear it now,
and it will relieve their minds."

He discharged his rifle four or five times, and they fancied that they
heard shots in return.

"Hullo!" Mr. Atherton exclaimed suddenly. "Easy all! Hold her up hard
all!" Although the order was entirely unexpected it was given so sharply
that it was instantly obeyed, and the boat was brought to a stand-still
before she had advanced another length. Then the rowers looked round to
see what had been the occasion of the sudden order. In front of them,
scarce ten feet away, towered up a dark mass of rock. They could only
see it ahead of the boat, and how high it was or how far it extended on
either side they knew not.

"Why, what is this?" the mate said in astonishment. "We did not notice
any islands as we came along. It has been a narrow escape, for at the
rate at which we were going through the water we should have stove in
our bow had we run on it."

"We have had a narrower escape than we deserve," Mr. Atherton said. "I
cannot think how we can have been so foolish."

"What do you mean?" the mate asked.

"Why we have been steering straight for the guns, have we not?"

"Of course we have."

"Well, we ought not to have done so. If the ship had been lying well out
from the land it would have been all right; but she is lying in a deep
bay, and of course a straight course to her from the point we started
from would take us just where we are, that is ashore, on the other side
of the headland."

"Of course it would. We ought to have kept well to seaward of the guns
till they bore right on our beam, and then headed in to her. Well,
fortunately no harm has been done, but we have had a mighty narrow
escape. If the fog had been