The sun had set by the time we boarded the ship, but we had not
noticed it in the bright twilight. The short northern night would
be no darker than now until the sunrising, for we were close on
midsummer, and there was every sign of settled fair weather after
the gale. Even now the last breeze was dying away, leaving the sea
bright and unruffled under the glow in the northwest sky. It was
only to be hoped that presently some summer breeze might suffer us
to lay our course southward or eastward, toward the land where we
might find haven and help.

Now Bertric set us to work, and we had little or no trouble, for
the breeze fell altogether very quickly. The sheet had fouled the
great cleat which was bolted to the deck beams amidships aft for
the backstay, and that was easily cleared. Then we swung the yard
fore and aft, Dalfin hauling as he was bidden, with fixed intent to
haul till further orders, which was all we needed from him. Then
Bertric would have two reefs taken in, for we could not tell what
weather we might meet, or for how long we might have to stay on
board without help. The foot of the sail was wet, as with heavy
rain.

"We can take no chances," he said. "Yet it is likely that we shall
have a ship or two in chase of us shortly. It is a wonder to me
that we have seen none yet. But word will go along the coast of what
has happened. It is not the first time that a carelessly-moored
vessel has got adrift in a calm, and found a breeze for herself,
while her sail was hoisted to dry in the sun."

Now, all we had to do was to carry forward the tack and set it up
for reaching, and to do that we had to climb over the fagots at the