Darry knew the sound well, for many a night had he gone calmly to sleep while the chorus of the elements was beating close to his head.
He had pulled well, and held his own with the brawny men of the crew, just as Mr. Frazer had known would be the case when he allowed him to take the place of Tom in the boat.
Abner was next to him, and the surfman had watched the manly efforts of his adopted boy with secret delight.
Few boys indeed of his size could have proven their worth to the crew of the lifeboat in time of need as Darry had done.
He could indeed be reckoned one of the life savers from this hour on, if so be they came back again to the shore that had witnessed their departure.
Now, as they swung around temporarily the rowers were afforded their first glimpse of the imperiled vessel.
It was undoubtedly a steamer, one of the coasters that pass up and down the Atlantic seaboard, bound from New York to one of the various southern ports, or vice versa, and usually keeping far enough out to avoid the perils that hover about Kitty Hawk and Hatteras.
She was in a bad position, having gone ashore, or been washed aground, so that her whole quarter was exposed to the sweep of the boiling sea.
Through the flying spray they could see numerous figures along the lee rail of the vessel, hanging on desperately, while now and then the water would sweep over the deck, and at such times a chorus of screams told that there were other than men there, women half frightened out of their senses by the peril.
The surfboat was, after some maneuvering, gotten in such a position under the lee of the steamer that a rope could be thrown aboard.