before morning."

"Why, do you intend to stay here all night?" asked Ralph.

"No, but each boat crew has had instructions to make for the nearest
port, as rapidly as possible," replied the captain.

"Where are we now?" asked Alfred.

"In the Bay of Biscay, about one hundred and fifty miles from the
nearest land," answered the captain.

"How long will it take us to reach land?" asked Ralph.

"Possibly two days, or more; that depends on the weather and the
conditions in the bay. This is the most turbulent body of water anywhere
on the Atlantic coast line, but it has been remarkably smooth during the
past twenty-four hours," answered the captain.

"What is the name of the place that we are heading for?" asked Ralph.

"St. Nazaire; a French town at the mouth of the river Loire," was the
reply.

It was now quite dark, and a haze prevented the occupants of the boat
from making any observation of the stars, hence the sailing, or rather,
the rowing, had to be conducted by compass entirely, the order being
given by the captain to steer east by north, a term which indicates that
the course was exactly two points north of a line running due east and
west.

Three miles an hour at the outside, would be considered good speed.
Sails would have been useless without a wind, and there was not the
slightest breeze, but about midnight there was an apparent rocking in
the little boat that indicated a wind. Occasionally, there would be a
jerk, as the boat would be thrown from one side to the other. The
captain was awake and alert, but the boys were lying in the bottom of
the vessel near the stern.

It was a trying, weary night, and when the sun arose the sea was one
panorama of short, choppy waves. The seamen were tired with rowing, and
it was evident that no great effort was being made to hurry the boat
along.

"It does seem to me that the sun is coming up on the wrong side this
morning," remarked Alfred, as they were partaking of the food prepared
and stowed in the boat's lockers.

"I imagine you are turned around somewhat," replied the captain. "The
wind is now coming from the east, and you see the sun almost ahead of
us. We are being carried west faster than the rowers can take us
eastward, hence we are practically standing still, or rather going back,
and they are now merely holding the boat so as to give us steerage way
and prevent us from going into the troughs between the waves."

"Have you sighted either of the oth