re only going to row out to the ship, and did
not think of bringing one with me."

"Never forget a compass, my man," Nelson said, "for though the sky may be
blue when you start, a sudden storm may overtake you and blow you far from
your ship. However, it can't be helped now."

In less than ten minutes the boat was enveloped in a dense fog. The
position was decidedly awkward. Had there been any wind they could have
steered by the sound of the surf breaking at the foot of the cliffs, but
the sea was absolutely calm, and they could hear nothing. They rowed on
for some time, and then Nelson said: "Lay in your oars, men, we may be
pulling in the wrong direction for all we know. We'll have to remain here
till this fog lifts, even if it takes a week to clear. This is a northerly
fog," he said to Will. "Cold wind comes down from the Alps and condenses
when it reaches the sea. These fogs are not very common, but they
sometimes last for a considerable time."

The afternoon passed, and presently night fell. There was no food of any
kind in the boat. The men chewed their quids, but the two officers could
not indulge in that relief. At night Nelson and Will wrapped themselves in
their boat-cloaks and made themselves as comfortable as they could,
getting uneasy snatches of sleep. Morning broke and there was no change; a
white wall of fog rose all round the boat.

"This is awkward," Nelson said. "I wish one of the batteries would fire a
few guns; that might give us some indication as to our position, though I
am by no means sure that in this thick atmosphere the sound would reach so
far. I think we were about eleven miles away when the fog caught us."

In the afternoon a breeze sprang up.

"God grant that it may continue!" Nelson said. "Slight as it is, two or
three hours of it might raise a swell, and we might then hear the wash of
the waves on the rocks."

Hour after hour passed, but at last the coxswain said: "I think I hear a
faint sound over on the right."

"I have thought so some little time," Will said, "but I would not speak
until I was sure."

"Out oars," Nelson ordered, "and row in that direction." The sound became
more and more distinct as they proceeded, and soon they were satisfied
that they were heading for the land. In a quarter of an hour the boat ran
up on a sandy beach.

"I have not seen this spot before, it must therefore be farther away from
the town than the point we had reached, and as we have been nea