be certain to get home; and then, finding the little
boat away from her moorings, he would naturally suspect that I had taken
her, for I was the only boy in the village, or man either, who was
allowed this privilege. The boat being absent, then, and not even
returning at night, Blew would most likely proceed to my uncle's house;
and then the alarm at my unusual absence would lead to a search for me;
which I supposed would soon guide them to my actual whereabouts.

Indeed, I was far less troubled about the danger I was in than about the
damage I had done. How could I ever face my friend Blew again? how make
up for the loss of his boat? This was a serious consideration. I had
no money of my own, and would my uncle pay it for me? I feared not; and
yet some one must remunerate the young waterman for the considerable
loss I had occasioned him. But who was to do it, or how was it to be
done? If my uncle would only allow me to work for Harry, thought I, I
might make it up to him in that way. I would be willing to work at so
much a week, till the boat was paid for; if he could only find something
for me to do.

I was actually making calculations as to how I should make good the
loss, and regarding that as my chief trouble at the moment. It had not
yet occurred to me _that my life was in danger_. True, I anticipated a
hungry night of it, and a bitter cold one too. I should be wet through
and through, for I knew that when the tide returned, it would cover the
stones of the reef, and I should have to stand all night in the water.

By the way, how deep would it be? Up to my knees?

I looked around to discover some means of judging how high the water was
wont to rise. I knew that the rocks would be all covered, for I had
often seen them so; but I had been all my life under the impression, and
so were people who lived on the shore, that the water rose only a few
inches above the reef.

At first, I could observe nothing that would guide me as to the height,
but at length my eye fell upon the signal-staff, and ran up and down its
shaft. There was a water-line sure enough, and there was even a circle
of white paint round the post, no doubt intended to mark it; but judge
my surprise, my absolute terror, when I perceived that this line was at
least _six feet above the base of the staff_!

Half distracted, I ran up to the pole. I placed myself by its side and
looked up. Alas! my eye had measured but too correctly. Th