"'Schooner ahoy! Ahoy!'
"I do not think the fisherman heard it. It was too faint—too far off; and he was too intent upon the thing he was to do.
"'Six minutes, sir,' said he.
"I wondered if Job had heard. The hail was repeated. Then I heard Skipper Job answer from the deck. At that the fisherman started; but his alarm passed in a moment.
"'Ahoy!' shouted Skipper Job.
"'Has you got a strange man aboard?' came from the shore.
"'Yes, sir,' Job called.
"'Watch him,' from the shore. 'He's mad.'
"'Oh, he's all right,' Job called. 'He's harmless.'
"Then silence. My hope of relief vanished. I should have to make the fight, after all, I thought.