It was evident that Jake wanted to have them out of the way, and both obeyed at once, Teddy saying as he stretched himself out on the hard boards:
"It seems as if my bones were coming through the skin, and I'm sore all over."
"Things are not nearly as bad as they might be, so we musn't complain," Neal replied philosophically; but at the same time it seemed as if he could not remain in that position another night.
Even in face of the danger to which they would be exposed, the occupants of the boat welcomed the increase in the weight of the wind since it was reasonable to suppose that each mile traversed carried them just so much nearer the land, and, with the exception of Neal and Teddy, all were in good spirits when the darkness of night covered the ocean.
Owing to the absence of exercise the boys did not sleep well, and when the unconsciousness of slumber did come upon them for a few moments at a time, it brought in its train dreams so distressing that wakefulness with the full knowledge of the dangers which encompassed them, was preferable.
It seemed as if twenty hours instead of ten had passed when one of the men in the bow cried joyfully:
"If I don't see the loom of land now it's because I never saw such a sight before."
"Where away?" Jake asked, straining his eyes in the vain effort to discern anything amid the gloom.
"Dead ahead as we are running. It must be somethin' more'n a cay, or it wouldn't show up so big."
The gray light of approaching dawn was lifting the mantle of night when the man spoke, and, ten minutes later, all saw with reasonable distinctness the dark cloud which could be nothing less than land.