On shore the gale seemed a stiff and dangerous blow. At sea, even
with a stanch deck under one's feet, the wind proved to have passed
the hurricane mark long since. The captain of the _Seamew_ felt that
the elements had conspired bitterly to assail his schooner. Before
they were a mile beyond the end of the Hollis breakwater, Tunis knew
that he had the fight of his seagoing experience on his hands.

When they were fairly out of the semi-shelter of the point behind
which Hollis lay, Tunis and his two companions realized very quickly
just what they had to contend with. They had spread a handbreadth of
mainsail, but the jib was blown out of the boltropes by one big
swoop of wind and carried down to leeward, looking like a giant's
shirt.

"Still feel that tug to sta'bbo'd," grumbled Horry. "Just like--"

"Belay that!" commanded Tunis. "I begin to believe that's bad luck,
anyway. If you hadn't got on to that tack when we first put the
schooner into commission, those Portygees wouldn't have even
remembered the _Marlin B._ And _that_ schooner thousands of miles
away from these seas!"

"I cal'late 'Rion Latham would have found something else to harp on
then," said Zebedee. "He was bound to ruin you if he could."

Quickly the gale increased instead of abating, and it was utterly
impossible for the trio to get topsails on her. She needed the pull
of upper canvas if she was to tack properly for the mouth of the
channel into Big Wreck Cove.

They fought for two hours to bring this much-desired object to pass,
hoping for a lull or a shifting of the gale which might aid them.
The yellow sands of Wreckers' Head were plainly in view all that
time. To give up the attempt and run before the gale was a folly of
which Tunis Latham had no intention of being guilty if it could
possibly be avoided. Manned as she was, the schooner might never be
worked back to a landfall if they did so.

The keen old eyes of Horace Newbegin first spied the thing which
promised hope. From his station at the wheel he shouted something
which the younger men did not catch, but his pointing arm drew their
gaze shoreward.

Coming out from the Head was an open boat. Four figures pulled at
the oars while another held the steering sweep. The daring crew was
heading the boat straight on for the pitching schooner!

"The coast guard!" the old man was now heard to shout. "God bless
them fellers!"

But Tunis knew it was not the lifeboat from the distant st