Of a sudden I saw it was not a gull. It was a boat!
Was it the Eagle?
The wind freshened, and the little craft crept nearer the shore. It seemed to make slow progress, and floated sluggishly in the water.
Now I was able to see more clearly. I noted that the sail was ragged and torn, also that from the mast head floated a bit of cloth like a piece torn from a woman’s dress. A signal of distress!
With anxious, beating heart I waited for the boat to draw nearer. It was, perchance, a vain hope, but I could not help thinking the craft contained those I sought. And if it should!
I looked to my gun and saw that my sword was loose in the scabbard, for I would have two to contend with, Sir George and Simon.
Closer came the boat until I could distinguish three figures aboard, and one was a woman, as I could see by her dress. She stood for a moment in front of the companionway leading to the cabin, and then she vanished down it. The other figures were those of two men. They appeared to be much excited about something, moving here and there on the deck, and I was at a loss to account for their actions. Now they would be amidships, and then suddenly run to the side when they would empty a bucket of water overboard.
As soon as I saw that I knew the boat was leaking, and that they were baling to keep her afloat. That was why they had headed in shore, for no other cause would have made them approach such a dangerous coast.
The craft was now so near that I could plainly see one man baling while the other ran to the tiller, which was lashed, and cast off the ropes. Then he headed the boat up the coast, searching for a favorable place to put in. He saw none, after holding on that course for a time, and so came about and sailed down. Long and anxiously did he scan the shore and the line of breakers. So occupied was he that he did not seem to see me, though I was in bold relief against the western sky.
Twice did the helmsman beat up and down for a quarter of a mile each way. But all along was heavy surf, while at some places black and jagged rocks just showed their ugly heads above the water that washed over them.