“Perhaps not, sir; but it was a steamer’s whistle, a signal, and it is dead astern. Shall we run back?”
“Yes; we must get on board something as soon as we can. This may be some whaler caught in the fog. Pull, my lads, and I will steer you round.”
Captain Marsham looked down at the dimly seen compass on the thwart beside him, and gradually got the boat’s head south-west.
At the end of half an hour’s pulling the captain suddenly exclaimed:
“Yes, I heard it then! Did you?”
“I have heard it several times since we changed our course,” said Johannes quietly.
“Indeed! and you, Steve?”
“Yes, sir, I’ve heard it, too.”
“Then why didn’t you speak?”
Steve was silent, and the captain listened again.