Without a moment's hesitation, Jean, whose thick skull had received a blow that would have disabled many a man for days to come, ran forward to the mast. Ere the hissing blast swept down upon the craft he had let go the halyards, bringing the heavy yard, with its bellying sail, to within a few feet of the deck.
Fortunately Gripwell had the sense to thrust his whole weight upon the stout tiller to keep the vessel on her course dead before the wind. In a few minutes the squall had passed.
Descending into the forehatch the Norman lad soon re-appeared, bearing a small sail rolled up under his arm. This, with Geoffrey's aid, he bent to the yard, in place of the larger canvas, and under easy sail the Etoile de St. Valery—for such was the name of the stolen craft—tore before the howling winds. Ugly, white-crested waves reared themselves on either hand, but, thanks to her broad beam and comparative deep draught, the threatening breakers swept harmlessly under her hull.
"Where are we?" asked Oswald dolefully, for he had succumbed to the attacks of his old enemy, and was lying well-nigh helpless against the low bulwarks.
"St. George be my aid: I know not," replied Gripwell. "But by yonder sun that tells close on midday, I perceive we are holding a proper course," he added, pointing to a faint light in the fleeting clouds that marked the position of the orb of day.
For the next hour or two the Etoile de St. Valery flew before the gale, heading blindly towards the as yet invisible shores of England.
Suddenly Geoffrey gave a warning cry, and pointed his finger towards the boat's bow.
"I see land," he shouted, striving to make himself heard above the roaring of the elements.
"Thou'rt right," agreed Gripwell, as an apparently unbroken wall of glistening chalk cliffs loomed up through the mirk. "But 'twill be a hard task to get into safety with this sea running. Certes, yesternight I would have given a seven pound candle to the altar of the church of St. Thomas à Becket at Warblington to be able to see yon cliffs, but now I would willingly give one of a score pounds not to see them."
"How so?" asked Geoffrey.