Jerry and Peter
each took an oar and rowed quickly astern to where Captain Flett
was swimming.
It will be easily understood that, left to myself, I could not
manage the schooner with much skill; for, in the first place, I
could not without help bring the sails over on the other tack, and
in the second I could not well leave the helm. Indeed, I had the
greatest difficulty in hauling the vessel round, and before I
succeeded in doing anything beyond simply putting the helm a-port,
the driving snow had surrounded me in its mist, and I lost sight of
the boat.
I could see it nowhere. I called aloud, but the wind whistling in
the ropes overpowered my voice. I left the tiller and got the fog
horn. But, alas! I had never practised blowing that instrument, and
try as I would, I could get no more than a feeble grunt out of it.
Thicker and thicker grew the mist, and the snow fell in numerous
and heavy flakes. Darkness came on, and still never a boat could I
see, never a sound could I hear but the ceaseless swish of the snow
and the soughing of the wind. The schooner pitched and rolled
helplessly on the waves, and I was in terror lest the sails should
split in their mad flapping.
I tried to secure the heavy boom that had been the cause of this
mischief, and after a long struggle with it I succeeded.
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