"About one hundred and seventy-five fathoms."
Hat went aft again and gave a calculating glance. When the chain had been paid out to the bitter end the ship would bring up perforce if the anchor had caught on, for the bitter end had a round turn taken about the foot of the foremast, and was shackled to the keelson with a monster shackle. But—what was the width of the harbor at this point?
"Give her port helm, you ninny," said Hat, wrapping herself in her arms. She shivered, partly because the night was chill and partly from nervous excitement. There was no time to be lost.
"Can't. The rudder's bolted in the amidships position," said Jed in shaking accents.
This had been done to make sure that that giant tail-piece should meet the water squarely, as otherwise the thrust of the ship might snap the rudder post like a pipe-stem.
"Well, I guess the horse is out of the stable, then, that's what I guess," Hat said hoarsely. "She's launched herself now with a vengeance."
They fell silent. With the indifference to danger of a sleepwalker the Minnie Williams marched across the starlit harbor.
Presently Hat brought down a heavy hand on her spouse's lean shoulder.
"You see what she's going to do, don't you?" she cried. "She's going to mix it with the Higgins place, that's what she's going to do! Give them a blue light. They're awake. I see a light burning in that south window."
Tyler fetched a blue light; but his matches were wet with the sweat of his efforts in the windlass room. He could not strike fire.