Then came something so startling and so astonishing that he was almost petrified with amazement. Instead of a weak, despairing answer, coming from a long distance, there sounded a cheery hail from close at hand: "All right, old man! I'm coming. Cheer up."
What had happened? Was his friend endowed with supernatural powers that enabled him to traverse the sea at will?
Alaric gazed about him on all sides, almost doubting the evidence of his senses. Then, with a flutter of canvas and a rush of water from under her bows, the tall form of the sloop loomed out of the blackness almost beside him.
"Sing out, Rick. Where are you?"
"Here I am. Oh, Bonny, is it you?"
"Yes, of course. Look out! Catch this line."
The end of a rope came whizzing over the boat, and Alaric, catching it, held on tightly. He was seated on the middle thwart, and the moment a strain came on the line the boat turned broadside to it, heeled until water began to pour in over her gunwale, and Alaric, unable to hold on an instant longer, let go his hold.
He heard an exclamation of "Thundering lubber!" in Captain Duff's voice, and then the sloop was again lost to sight.
Again Alaric was in despair, though he could still hear the shouting of orders and a confused slatting of sails. After a little the sloop was put about, and a shouting to determine the locality of the drifting boat was recommenced. Still it seemed to Alaric a tedious while before she approached him for a second time, and Bonny once more sung out to him to stand by and catch a line.
"Make it fast in the bow this time," he called, as he flung the coil of rope.