ted on his oars, gazed
up at the bright heavens, and then at the land lights, which by that
time resembled a twinkling line on the horizon.

"Must 'bout ship now," he muttered. "Won't do to keep Minnie waiting."

As he rowed leisurely landward a sudden gust of wind from the shore
shivered the liquid mirror into fragments. It was the advance-guard of
a squall which in a few minutes rushed down from the mountains of the
Riviera and swept out upon the darkening sea.

Young Foster, as we have said, was strong. He was noted among his
fellows as a splendid oarsman. The squall, therefore, did not
disconcert him, though it checked his speed greatly. After one or two
lulls the wind increased to a gale, and in half an hour the youth found,
with some anxiety, that he was making no headway against it.

The shore at that point was so much of a straight line as to render the
hope of being able to slant-in a faint one. As it was better, however,
to attempt that than to row straight in the teeth of the gale, he
diverged towards a point a little to the eastward of the port of Nice,
and succeeded in making better way through the water, though he made no
perceptible approach to land.

"Pooh! It's only a squall--be over in a minute," said the middy, by way
of encouraging himself, as he glanced over his shoulder at the
flickering lights, which were now barely visible.

He was wrong. The gale increased. Next time he glanced over his
shoulder the lights were gone. Dark clouds were gathering up from the
northward, and a short jabble of sea was rising which occasionally sent
a spurt of spray inboard. Feeling now that his only chance of regaining
the shore lay in a strong, steady, persevering pull straight towards it,
he once more turned the bow of the little boat into the wind's eye, and
gave way with a will.

But what could human muscle and human will, however powerful, do against
a rampant nor'wester? Very soon our hero was forced to rest upon his
oars from sheer exhaustion, while his boat drifted slowly out to sea.
Then the thought of his mother and Minnie flashed upon him, and, with a
sudden gush, as it were, of renewed strength he resumed his efforts, and
strained his powers to the uttermost--but all in vain.

Something akin to despair now seized on him, for the alternative was to
drift out into the open sea, where no friendly island lay between him
and the shores of Africa. The necessity for active exertion, however,