“I don’t think we’ll care about sailing again, particularly as the tide will be going out, and the night coming on.”
“My idea is,” said Bruce, “to fasten her to the shore if we can, and then go along the beach or the bank till we find some people and get help.”
“That’s about all we can do,” said Bart. “We can’t think of going adrift, and none of us can sail the vessel; so, if they don’t come after us, we had better land, and leave the vessel; or some of us can go for help, and others stay on board.”
“I wonder if the vessel is safe here.”.
“O, safe enough—if a gale don’t spring up in that case she might get knocked on the bank.”
“We don’t seem to have been hurt by our knocking up there,” said Arthur. “There’s no water in the hold.”.
“O, she’s all right,” said Bruce; “and she’s a gallant, gallant ship, as the song says.”.
The vessel was steadily floated nearer and nearer to the shore as the tide rose, and the boys watched her progress with close attention. At about three o’clock they could expect to be up to the bank, and then they would have to find some way to fasten her.
Suddenly Bart, who had been looking down the shore, pointed to something, and said,—
“Look, look! Do you see that?”