When the Orion changed her course off the ledges, he caught a glimpse of the dangerous rocks, upon which he had heard the beating surf for a moment before. From that time he did not see anything which looked like a rock or a cliff. Even when the yacht swung around to her anchor, the shore could not be seen from her deck, so dense was the fog.
Captain Bounce had not much confidence in the skill of his pilot. He had not seen the rocks and cliffs which line the coast, and had no idea of the perils which had surrounded him. Whenever Leopold ordered a change in the course, he could just hear the murmuring sea breaking on the shore; but the old sea-dog expected the vessel would be thrown upon the rocks every moment. He was prepared to act upon an emergency of this kind, and had actually arranged in his own mind his plan of procedure, when the order to let go the jib-halyard indicated that the pilot intended to anchor.
Captain Bounce looked about him, but he could see nothing which looked like a town, a port, or a harbor. He was so obstinate in his incredulity, that he was inclined to believe the young man in charge had given up the attempt to find Rockhaven as a bad job, and intended to anchor under the lee of some island. He obeyed the orders given him by the pilot, however. The chain cable ran out, and when its music had ceased, one of the church clocks in Rockhaven struck ten. Captain Bounce heard it distinctly, and of course the sound from a point high above him in the air overwhelmed him with positive proof that the young pilot knew what he was about.
"Ten o'clock!" shouted Leopold, walking up to the captain of the yacht. "We have been just five minutes short of an hour in coming up."
Leopold looked at his silver watch, which was the gift of Herr Schlager, and rather enjoyed the perplexity of the sailing-master.
"I don't see any town," said Captain Bounce, going to the rail, and gazing into the fog, in the direction from which the sounds of the church clock had come.
"You heard the clock on the Methodist church strike—didn't you?"
"I heard that."
"Well, sir, we are in the river; and it is a crooked river, too. You can't take a boat and pull in a straight line in any direction without running on the rocks," added Leopold.
"I'm glad we are in a safe harbor," continued the old sea-dog, but in a tone which seemed to belie his words, for he was not quite willing to believe that the boy had piloted the vessel four or five miles, without even seeing the shore a single time.