Captain Corbet’s words were confirmed by the appearance of sea and sky.  Outside was the very blackness of darkness.  Nothing whatever was visible.  Sea and sky were alike hidden from view.  The waves were rising, and though they were not yet of any size, still they made noise enough to suggest the idea of a considerable storm, and the wind, as it whistled through the rigging, carried in its sound a menace which would have been altogether wanting in a bright night.  The boys all felt convinced that a storm was rising, and looked forward to a dismal experience of the pangs of seasickness.  To fight this off now became their chief aim, and with this intention they all hurried below once more to their beds.

But the water was not rough, the motion of the schooner was gentle, and though there was much noise above, yet they did not notice any approach of the dreaded sea-sickness, and so in a short time they all fell asleep once more.

But they were destined to have further interruptions.  The interruption came this time in a loud cry from Solomon, which waked them all at once.

“Get up, chil’en! get up!  It’s all over!”

“What, what!” cried the boys; “what’s the matter?” and springing up in the first moment of alarm, they stood listening.

As they stood, there came to their ears the roaring of the wind through the rigging, the flapping of the sails, the dashing and roaring of the waters, in the midst of which there came also a shrill, penetrating sound, which seemed almost overhead—­the sound of some steam whistle.

“Dar, dar!” cried Solomon, in a tone of deadly fear.  “It’s a comin!  I knowed it.  We’re all lost an gone.  It’s a steamer.  We’re all run down an drownded.”

Without a word of response, the boys once more clambered on deck.  All was as dark as before, the fog as thick, the scene around as impenetrable, the wind as strong.  From a distance there came over the water, as they listened, the rapid beat of a steamboat’s paddles, and soon there arose again the long, shrill yell of the steam whistle.  They looked all around, but saw no sign of any steamer; nor could they tell exactly in which direction the sound arose.  One thought it came from one side, another thought it came from the opposite quarter, while the others differed from these.  As for Captain Corbet, he said nothing, while the boys were expressing their opinions loudly and confidently.

At last Bart appealed to Captain Corbet.

“Where is the steamer?”

“Down thar,” said the captain, waving his hand over the stern.

“What steamer is it? the revenue steamer?”

“Not her.  That revenoo steamer is up to Windsor by this time.  No; this is the St. John steamer coming up the bay, an I ony wish she’d take us an give us a tow up.”

“She seems to be close by.”

“She is close by.”

“Isn’t there some danger that we’ll be run down?”