, but now a
few points in the darkness this way, and now a few points in the
darkness that way, then with a great curve to the south through the
dark night, keeping always near the middle of the only good channel out
of the bay when the tide was ebbing.

Now the cries from seaward had ceased, but the two captains were not
discouraged.

"He's heard the thumpin' of our oars," said Captain Cephas.

"He's listenin', and he'll sing out again if he thinks we're goin'
wrong," said Captain Eli. "Of course he doesn't know anything about
that."

And so when they made the sweep to the south the cry came again, and
Captain Eli grinned. "We needn't to spend no breath hollerin'," said
he. "He'll hear us makin' fer him in a minute."

When they came to head for the shoal they lay on their oars for a
moment, while Captain Cephas turned the lantern in the bow, so that its
light shone out ahead. He had not wanted the shipwrecked person to see
the light when it would seem as if the boat were rowing away from him.
He had heard of castaway people who became so wild when they imagined
that a ship or boat was going away from them that they jumped overboard.

When the two captains reached the shoal, they found there a cat-boat
aground, with one man aboard. His tale was quickly told. He had
expected to run into the little bay that afternoon, but the wind had
fallen, and in trying to get in after dark, and being a stranger, he
had run aground. If he had not been so cold, he said, he would have
been willing to stay there till the tide rose; but he was getting
chilled, and seeing a light not far away, he concluded to call for help
as long as his voice held out.

The two captains did not ask many questions. They helped anchor the
cat-boat, and then they took the man on their boat and rowed him to
shore. He was getting chilled sitting out there doing nothing, and so
when they reached the house they made him some hot grog, and promised
in the morning, when the tide rose, they would go out and help him
bring his boat in. Then Captain Cephas showed the stranger to a bunk,
and they all went to bed. Such experiences had not enough of novelty
to the good captains to keep them awake five minutes.

In the morning they were all up very early, and the stranger, who
proved to be a seafaring man with bright blue eyes, said that, as his
cat-boat seemed to be riding all right at its anchorage, he did not
care to go out after her just yet. Any