His first act was to lighten it, and cause it to ride more buoyantly, by tossing overboard a quantity of the fish with which it was laden. Then he helped Wolfe into the boat; and though the poor fellow’s face was white with the pain he was suffering, he gave no expression to it, but at once began to bail out the water that still caused them great anxiety.
While he was thus employed Breeze was hard at work with the oars, pulling in what he supposed was the direction of the schooner, and keeping a sharp lookout for any waves of unusual size.
At last, when Wolfe had nearly finished bailing, he paused for a moment in his task and said, “Breeze, it was splendid! I don’t believe there was ever a finer thing done on the Banks.”
“Oh, pooh!” replied the other. “What would be the use of learning how to dive and swim under water if you couldn’t do it when it was necessary?”
“Yes, I know; it’s well enough to talk about doing such things within reach of shore, but out here in the middle of the ocean, with a sea like that running, makes it a very different matter. I say it was splendid!”
“Wolfe, if you knew how like a coward it makes me feel now to think of it, you wouldn’t speak of it again. I thank God that he put it into my heart, and gave me the strength to do what I did. Above all, I thank him that you are now with me in this boat, instead of at the bottom of the sea; but I don’t want to talk about it.”
“And I say ‘Amen’ to your thankfulness with all my heart,” replied Wolfe.
“By-the-way,” said Breeze, anxious to change the subject, “do you hear anything of the horn?”
“No, I do not, and I don’t think I have heard it since we were hauling the trawl,” exclaimed Wolfe, with a startled air, while an anxious expression swept over his face. “Let’s listen a minute.”
Breeze stopped rowing, and they listened until he was again obliged to use the oars to head the dory towards another big sea that he saw approaching; but they heard no sound, save the moan of the wind and the rushing of the waters on all sides of them.