"So," answered Randall, "but we might pull some poor fellow out of the sea."
"That's about all we could do."
The boys kept a constant watch all day, but not the faintest sign of a sail hove in sight above the wavering horizon. The gale blew all day Thursday and all day Friday. Such a sea had never been seen on the coast, and many people went down to look at it. The boys maintained their watch all day on Mullet Head, with the boat safe under its lee. They knew they were helpless, yet they could not go away. People tried to persuade or to ridicule them into doing so, but they remained. They were pretty resolute boys, and were not easily turned from their purposes.
On Saturday morning the wind shifted, and the gale showed signs of moderating. By Saturday night it had fallen to a brisk wind, and the sea had gone down somewhat. On Sunday morning the two boys sailed down to Mullet Head to have another look around the horizon. The minister saw them start, and reproved them for not staying at home to go to church. But they said that they might go in the afternoon. As soon as they reached their customary landing-place, they hauled up the boat and walked up the hill.
"Look!" exclaimed Peter; "now that the gale is over a sail is in sight."
"That's a fact," said Randall. "A sloop."
"Yes; but doesn't she look queer to you?"
"No—hold on—yes. Her hull looks too big for her rig."
"That's it. There! Did you see that when she rose on that sea? She's a schooner, but her mainmast is gone close to the deck. I saw the stump. Look now!"
"Yes! I see it, I see it!" cried Randall; "and what's more, she's lost her foretop-mast."