In this way, then, they drifted down the harbor, while the steam whistles were yelling around them so as to stifle all their cries for help, and while the fog was gathering round them in its dense folds so as to obscure their sight. But the boat bore them well, and it was at least a subject of rejoicing to them that they were thus seated in comparative comfort on that boat, instead of floating tip to their chins in the water, clinging to their oars. Neither of them spoke a word as they thus drifted. Both of them were anxiously on the lookout for some means of escape. But no way of escape presented itself. They drifted on. The time seemed long indeed as they thus drifted, though how long it really was they had no means of knowing, and could only conjecture. On they went, and still on, and no help appeared, and no way of escape was visible. At length Pat began to make use of his oar by putting it over the boat into the water, and working it in the way called sculling; in such a way, however, as to give the boat as strong an inclination as possible to the right. It was not easy to scull, for there was no socket in which to insert the oar; but Pat did the best he could, and by holding one foot he managed to keep the oar in a steady enough position by holding it between his foot and the keel. Phil watched him in silence for some time, and Pat went on working at the oar with all his might. “What are you doing, Pat?” he asked at last. “Well,” said Pat, without stopping, “there’s jist a ghost of a chance for us. We’re dhriftin out to sea, an ef we sit still we’ll be miles out before we know it. Now there’s Partridge Island afore us yet, an it’ll be on our right as we’re dhriftin out, an I’m strivin to see if I can give a twisht to the boat, so as to draw her in nearer to the shore.” “Can’t I help?” said Phil. “I suppose ye may as well thry,” said Pat. Upon this Phil took his oar, and began to use it in the same way as Pat. The efforts of the boys were directed, not towards resisting the current, but towards effecting a movement of the boat to the right, and drawing it away from the middle of the stream to within reach of Partridge Island. This place was now their last hope. “Ef we can only get out of the sthraim,” said Pat, “we’ll get to the island. The boat’s hard to move this way, but we may do something.”