aptain, as two boats were
lowered and anchors got into them. But it is no easy matter to row a
boat with a heavy weight in it against wind and tide; and before they
had got fairly away from the vessel she had already swung round a
considerable distance, and was heeling over a good deal from the force
of the wind and tide. It was nearly half an hour before the boats were
far enough off to get the anchors over with any effect.

"They won't dare to haul on them now," Joe said. "They would only come
home. Those anchors ain't heavy enough to work her stern round. I expect
when a tug comes along they will get them to help, else she will keep on
driving higher and higher."

"Hallo!" The exclamation came from Jack, who now happened to look round
towards the boat. They had accidentally taken their stand on the highest
point of the sand-bank, and in watching the steamer had forgotten all
about the tide, which, under the influence of a north-east wind, had
risen with great rapidity. The patch of dry sand was scarcely fifteen
yards wide, and would be entirely covered in a very few minutes.

"Look, Bill, the boat has gone!"

It was true. The grapnel, a very light one, with a short length of rope,
had been thrown carelessly down on the sand when they last hauled the
boat up, and as the full strength of the tide had caught the boat, it
had dragged a considerable distance, and was drifting away up the Ray.

"What is to be done?" Joe exclaimed.

"Do you think we could wade along to the island, Bill?" Jack asked.

Bill shook his head. "No; there are deep channels where it would be over
our heads. I can't swim a stroke, no more can Joe."

"Shall I swim to the boat, Bill, and try and get her back?"

Joe shook his head. "She is in deep water now, Jack, and the grapnel
ain't holding her a bit; she will drift as fast as you can swim. But of
course you can try if you like, it don't make any difference to us, for
you could never beat back against this wind and tide. What fools we have
been, to be sure!"

"The boats will soon be coming back now," Jack said hopefully. "There
are some of them this side of the Chapman now."

Bill shook his head. "It will take them three quarters of an hour to
beat up, Jack."

Jack turned and looked the other way. "Here are three of them coming in
from the Nore, Bill. They will not be very long before they are up."

"They will be here before the others, Jack; but I doubt if they will be
in time. Water