All of a sudden Bichri came towards me, and said he should like to speak to me. He began:
"As I am no sailor, perhaps I ought to apologise for giving an opinion, but my eyesight is very keen; and I am certain that I can see mountains over there to the right of the poop."
Himilco started to his feet; without relinquishing his hold upon the skin of wine, with his single eye he steadily scanned the horizon in the direction in which Bichri was pointing. After a few moments, he said:
"The archer is right; my eye seldom deceives me; we are to leeward of land."
Notwithstanding the incessant downpour of rain, I could just see enough through the mist to discern that there were mountains behind us to the right. Feeling sure that we had been driving to the north, I had no doubt in my own mind that the land we saw was some promontory on the north coast of Crete; and so ultimately it proved.
Our first business now was to get clear of the whirlwind, and to make for the shore. I signalled to this effect to the Cabiros, and doubled the number of the rowers by making a soldier as well as a sailor work at every oar. In the next place I inspected the stowage, and was rejoiced to find how little it had been displaced.
In a few hours the wind had almost dropped, and shortly afterwards a ray of sunlight darting through the clouds, cast an enlivening gleam upon our course.
"The Lord has saved us," said Chamai; "but I confess I was horribly alarmed."
Himilco wrung out his drenched kitonet, and proposed that, with my permission, he should give Bichri, who had been the first to spy out the land, a draught of wine from the skin which he still retained. I acknowledged that he well deserved it.
The two women were now induced to come from their cabin; although they were still somewhat tremulous with their recent fright, they had a bright smile upon their faces.