The thoughts passing through his mind did not delay his footsteps, and he made such good speed that, half way to the shore, he had left Marsden far behind, and struggled on alone through the last few rods of heavy sand. When he reached the beach, several people were gathered there already: Ben Bradford and Dr. Cricket, with that dishevelled air which always marks a midnight alarm; Michael and Leonard Davitt, who slept in their fisherman's hut by the pond, in order to get an early morning start, and were therefore first at the scene of excitement. Michael felt all the importance of his position as first witness, and with unusual loquacity was giving an account of the catastrophe to the group around. "I can't nohow account for it," he said; "that captain must be an escaped idjit to go on a lee-shore a night like this." "Had the fog lifted when she struck?" queried Marsden. "Well, it was jest a-waverin', breakin' up like, and then shuttin' down agin. The idjit must er thought he was off the Bug Light, where the water's deep right up close in; but why should he a-thought so?--that's the question." "Well, it is a question that can wait, I should think," said Brady, who had come up panting from his run. "The most important question is, what are you going to do about it? There's not much danger, I suppose, as long as the night is as calm as this; though there's such a ground swell on it looks as if there must have been a big storm at sea. See how she pounds on the reef out there! She is likely to go to pieces before many hours, I should say, and if a wind springs up, as it's pretty sure to do with morning, it would be an ugly lookout." "Is there a life-boat anywhere?" asked Flint. "Yes," said Leonard, somewhat scornfully, "in the pond." (He pronounced it pawnd.) "They must have boats on the ship," said Marsden; "seems to me I see 'em launchin' one now." At this the men on shore huddled closer together, as though four could see farther than one. Yes, there was no doubt of it. The misty dawn showed forms standing on the slanting deck of the ship, and a boat hoisted, held out, and then dropped into the waves, which were already rising with the rising wind. "They'd best make haste," muttered Michael, uneasily; "if the sea gets up, they'll go down." It seemed an age to the little waiting group before the boat put off from the ship. The wind had begun to blow in cold and strong. Flint buttoned his coat tight to his chin, and still he shivered. On the little boat came, now dipping almost out of sight in the hollow of the big green waves, now rising like a cork upon their crest. "Hurrah!" cried Brady, "they're almost in." "Hm!" said Michael, "not yet, by a long sight! The danger comes when they git into the breakers." Flint was enough of a sailor to know that the fisherman spoke truth. A little later, he saw the white, combing foam break over the boat. He drew his breath quicker, and caught his under-lip between his teeth.