Now it was next to impossible to do so. The
sloop was rushing through the seas without a light to mark her
presence on the sea that was growing more wild with the moments. But
the binnacle light was burning steadily over the compass, so that the
helmswoman was able to see in which direction they were heading. The
compass told her that, instead of making headway toward land, they
were rushing along at a frightful rate of speed toward Europe. Still,
she realized that this was the only safe course to follow.
All at once Harriet Burrell uttered a sharp cry of alarm. She threw
the wheel over so suddenly that a wave smashing against the side of
the sloop nearly turned them turtle. Captain Billy, with quick
instinct, let go the mainsail, which swung out far to leeward, thus
saving the little craft from being upset. Up to this moment he did not
know what the sudden shifting meant, but just as he was about to
bellow to the helmswoman he caught sight of a towering mass of lights
that for the moment seemed to hang over them, then flashed on, missing
the "Sue" by a few scant rods of water. They had had a narrow escape
from being run down by a steamer. But for Harriet's quickness, nothing
could have saved them. It was plain that those on the bridge of the
steamer had not discovered the small boat in the sea under their bows,
for they did not even hail.
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