It was not until three o'clock
in the afternoon, however, that the lookout reported seeing something
floating in the far distance, off the starboard bow. A study of this
object through the glasses led the captain to turn his cutter in that
direction. An hour later he was close enough to see that it was a
dismantled boat, and that there were people aboard it.
Full speed ahead was ordered and the revenue boat rapidly drew up. A
strange spectacle was revealed to the officers and men of the revenue
cutter as she approached close enough to make out details. The
dismantled sloop was lying very low in the water, showing that she was
in a bad way. To the top of the stump of the mast a staple had been
driven and through this a rope run. This rope held a jib, the greater
part of which was on the deck because there was not height enough to
spread it all. But what there was of the jib was pulling well in the
fresh breeze and the sloop was wallowing through the seas, making
fair headway toward land, which now was not more than fifteen miles
away.
Harriet Burrell, still at the wheel, was giving her full attention to
handling the boat, leaving to her companions the task of attracting
the attention of the cutter, which, however, had seen the sloop long
before the passengers on her had discovered the revenue boat.
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