glimpse of
the surrounding water, and not another sound enabled us to locate the
approaching boat. I felt convinced we had not been overheard, as no
one had spoken above a whisper, and the men aboard had been noiseless
in their movements about deck, I had compelled Dorothy to remain on
the port side of the cabin, removed from all danger, and the only
upright figure in sight was the man at the wheel. The rest of us
crouched along the starboard rail, peering out into the mist, and
listening for the slightest sound. They were a motley crew, armed with
every conceivable sort of knife or war club, but sturdy fellows, ready
and willing enough to give a good account of themselves. Watkins was
forward, swallowed up in the smother of mist, but Schmitt held a place
next me, a huge, ungainly figure in the dull light. So still it was I
began to doubt having heard the voice at all--could it have been
imagination? But no; that was impossible, for the sound had reached
all of us alike. Somewhere out yonder, that boat was creeping along
silently, seeking blindly through the fog to reach our side
unobserved--those Wolves of the Sea had the scent.

I do not know how long the suspense lasted, but, I have never felt a
greater strain on my nerves. Every deeper shadow increased the
tension, imagination playing strange tricks, as I stared fixedly into
the void, and trembled at the slightest sound. Once I was sure I heard
the splash of an oar, but no one on deck spoke, and I remained silent.
The faint creaking of a rope aloft caused my heart to thump, and when
a loosened edge of canvas slapped the mast in a sudden breath of air,
it sounded to me like a burst of thunder. Where were the fellows? Had
they abandoned their search, confused by the fog; or were they still
stealthily seeking to locate our position? Could there be more than
one boat, and if not what force of men might such a boat contain?
These questions never left me, and were alike unanswerable. Unable to
withstand inaction any longer I arose to my feet, thinking to pass
down the line with a word of encouragement to each man. A glance
upward told me the heavy mist was passing, driven away by a light
breeze from the south. Through the thick curtain which still clung to
the deck, I could perceive the upper spars, already tipped with
sunlight, and edges of reefed canvas flapping in the wind. The
schooner felt the impulse, the bow swinging sharply to port, and I
turned and took a few st