es; and with the wind free, Leopold calculated that he had made this
distance in half an hour. He had cleared away his cable, and had his
anchor ready to throw overboard, when the hoarse croaking of a fog-horn
attracted his attention. The sound came from the seaward side of him,
and from a point not far distant.

The Rosabel was provided with one of those delectable musical
instruments, whose familiar notes came to her skipper's ears. It was
rather a necessity to have one, in order to avoid collisions; besides,
it is fun for boys to make the most unearthly noises which mortal ear
ever listened to.

Leopold blew his fog-horn, and it was answered by a repetition of the
sound to seaward. The craft, whatever it was, from which the music came,
was much nearer than when the skipper of the Rosabel first heard the
signal. This satisfied him that she was headed to the north-east, and
was nearly close-hauled, for the wind was about east; in other words,
the craft from which the melody of the fog horn came was standing from
the sea directly towards the ledges off High Rock.

Leopold blew his horn again and again, and the responses came nearer and
nearer every time. The craft was evidently bound up the bay, or into
the Rockhaven river. If she was going to Rockland, or up the bay, she
was very much out of her course. If she was going into the river, she
was more likely to strike upon the ledge than to hit her port.

"Ahoy! Ahoy!" came a hoarse voice, apparently pitched from the note of
the fog-horn.

The skipper of the Rosabel judged that the craft was not more than an
eighth of a mile from him.

"Ahoy! Ahoy!" he shouted in reply, at the top of his voice.

Leopold had hauled down his jib, and thrown the sloop up into the wind,
in preparation for anchoring; but he concluded not to do so, in view of
the peril of being run down by the stranger. On the contrary he hoisted
his jib, and filled away again, so as to be in condition to avoid a
collision. Resuming his place at the helm, he stood out towards the
fog-hidden vessel. The hail was repeated again and again, and Leopold as
often answered it. In a few moments more he discovered what appeared to
him to be the jib of a schooner. Her bow was of shining black, with a
richly gilded figure-head under the bowsprit. A moment later he
discovered the two masts of the vessel. The mainsail was set, but the
foresail was furled, and she was apparently feeling her way with great
care into t