this storm
to drown us; now are we lost!"

And I--who had listened eagerly to all the wild stories of the
seamen, since first I was old enough to wander curiously over the
ships from overseas that put into our haven on their way up the
great rivers to Norwich, or Beccles, or other towns--knew that the
Finns have powers more than mortal (though how or whence I know
not) over wind and sea, often using their power to the hurt of
others, and so looked to see the lines of a great squall, drawn as
it were astern of the wizard's boat, whitening as it rushed upon us
to sink us in sight of home.

But old Kenulf cried out on the man, saying:

"Rather is it one of the holy saints, and maybe the blessed Peter
the fisherman himself," and he bared his gray head, crossing
himself, as he looked eagerly to catch sight of the glory of light
round the seafarer; and that rebuked my fears a little.

But squall or crown of light was there none. Only the brown waves,
foam crested, which we feared not, and the gray light of the
clouded sun that was nigh to setting.

My father heeded naught of this, but watched the boat, only
wondering at the marvellous skill of her steersman. And when the
boat was so near that it was likely that the eyes of the man were
on us, my father raised his arm in the seaman's silent greeting,
and I thought that the boatman returned the salute.

Now the course that the boat was holding when that signal passed
would have taken her wide of us by half a cable's length, but she
was yet so far distant that but a little change would bring her to
us. Some sort of sail she seemed to have, but it was very small and
like nothing I had ever seen, though it was enough to drive her
swiftly and to give her steering way before the wind. Until my
father signed to him the man seemed to have no wish to near our
ship, going on straight to what would be certain destruction amid
the great breakers on our largest sand bar, and that made the men
more sure that he was a wizard, and there were white faces enough
among them.

"Now," said my father to me, "doubtless this is what was put in my
mind when I felt I must watch. Had I not seen him, yon man would
have been surely lost; for I think he cannot see the breakers from
his boat," and again he signed to the boatman.

Then from the little craft rose a great, long-winged hawk that
cried and hovered over it for a little, as if loth to leave it; and
one man said, shrinking and pale, th