And his hair has turned from gray to white within the week."

De Catinat also had noticed that the gaunt old Huguenot had grown
gaunter, that the lines upon his stern face were deeper, and that his
head fell forward upon his breast as he walked. He was about, however,
to suggest that the voyage might restore the merchant's health, when
Adele gave a cry of surprise and pointed out over the port quarter.
So beautiful was she at the instant with her raven hair blown back by
the wind, a glow of colour struck into her pale cheeks by the driving
spray, her lips parted in her excitement, and one white hand shading her
eyes, that he stood beside her with all his thoughts bent upon her grace
and her sweetness.

"Look!" she cried. "There is something floating upon the sea. I saw it
upon the crest of a wave."

He looked in the direction in which she pointed, but at first he saw
nothing. The wind was still behind them, and a brisk sea was running of
a deep rich green colour, with long creamy curling caps to the larger
waves. The breeze would catch these foam-crests from time to time, and
then there would be a sharp spatter upon the decks, with a salt smack
upon the lips, and a pringling in the eyes. Suddenly as he gazed,
however, something black was tilted up upon the sharp summit of one of
the seas, and swooped out of view again upon the further side. It was
so far from him that he could make nothing of it, but sharper eyes than
his had caught a glance of it. Amos Green had seen the girl point and
observed what it was which had attracted her attention.

"Captain Ephraim," cried he, "there's a boat on the starboard quarter."