"Oh, don't say that, please don't!" wailed Mr. Tarbill.
"Here comes the squall!" cried Captain Spark, and he was right.
Soon a sudden gust of wind struck the sailboat, almost keeling her over. As quickly as it could be done, the sail was lowered and stowed away.
The squall was of short duration, lasting all told not more than ten minutes. Only a few drops of rain fell. Then the clouds rolled off to the westward and it became as clear as before.
"The steamer! It's gone!" shouted Mr. Carr.
"What!" cried Captain Spark.
"Gone, I tell you!"
With great anxiety all strained their eyes to catch some sight of the large craft. At last Tim Flynn pointed with his finger.
"There she is—sailin' right away from us!" he said bitterly.
The words of the Irish tar proved true—the steamer had again altered her course. In a few minutes her dark form was swallowed up in the distant haze.