Silas made fast the Skip in a hurry, and, leaping out on the dock, called to the boys:
"Wait here until I come back. I won't be long. Then we'll head for Lighthouse Cove."
"All right," answered Bob. "We'll be all right."
The darkness had increased because of the clouds, and now a strong wind sprang up. It whipped the waters of the channel into whitecaps, and this, with the strong tide that was running, made the Skip strain hard at her mooring rope.
The wind blew harder, and then with a sudden outbreak of fury the storm broke, the rain coming down in such torrents that the boys could not see the shanty of the sailmaker.
"Get in the cabin!" cried Sammy.
"That's right!" yelled Frank. "We'll be soaked here!"
They tumbled into the cabin, which was below the level of the cockpit deck, and pulled the sliding doors shut.
"Now we're all snug—let her rain!" cried Bob.
And rain it did. The pelting drops made so much noise on the cabin roof that the boys had to shout to make each other hear. The thunder was terrific, and the bright lightning cut through the blackness that was almost as dark as night.