CHAPTER XVIII
THE IMPRISONED LAUNCH
The prospect ahead did not dismay Darry at all.
He had been a sailor for some years and was accustomed to meeting all kinds of bad weather.
Besides, his boat though old, was staunch, and could hold its own against waves that would upset another craft less steady; and then again he knew how to handle his oars with the skill that only long practice can bring.
By degrees he lost sight of the sandy shore.
He was now surrounded by a heaving sheet of water, and it required all his knowledge of things nautical to keep his bearings, for it was impossible to see even the slightest object on any side.
The situation would have alarmed many a lad less accustomed to depending on himself in emergencies.
Darry felt no fear.
He noted the direction of the waves, and unless the wind shifted suddenly, which it was not apt to do, he felt positive he could bring up somewhere along the shore near the village.