Nights are pretty dark things, sometimes, as most people know; but the darkest thing to be met with at sea, whether by night or by day, is a fog, and Dabney saw signs of one coming. Rain, too, might come with it, but that would be of small account.
"Boys," he said, "do you know we're out of sight of land?"
"Oh, no, we're not!" replied Ford confidently. "Look yonder."
"That isn't land, Ford. That's only a fog-bank, and we shall be all in the dark in ten minutes. The wind is changing, too, and I hardly know where we are."
"Look at your compass."
"That tells me the wind is changing a little, and it's going down; but I wouldn't dare to run towards the shore in a fog, and at night."
"Why not?"
"Why? Don't you remember those breakers? Would you like to be blown through them, and not see where you were going?"
"Well, no," said Ford: "I rather guess I wouldn't."
"Jes' you let Capt'in Kinzer handle dis yer boat," almost crustily interposed Dick Lee. "He's de on'y feller on board dat un'erstands nagivation."