"They are going to back the engine, I suppose," said Forester, "to try to draw her off."
But the boat would not move. The engine did not seem to have power to release her from her confinement.
"What shall we do now?" asked Marco.
"Why, whenever a ship is aground," said Forester, "the first question is, what is the state of the tide?"
"Because," continued Forester, after a moment's pause, "if the tide is rising, it soon lifts the vessel off, and enables her to go back, or, perhaps, forward, if the water is not very shallow. But, if the tide is falling, it leaves her to rest more and more upon the sand, and she cannot get off until the water has gone entirely down, and then rises again. She cannot get off, in fact, until the water has risen higher than it was when she first grounded."
"And how is it now?" asked Marco.
"I presume the tide is going down," said Forester; "and if so, we must wait here until it rises again." So saying, he began to look about for somebody of whom he could inquire. He soon heard a gentleman say to another that the tide was falling, and that they should have to stay here three hours.
"That's rather provoking," said Marco.
"Oh, no," said Forester. "Perhaps we can go ashore."