His dreams were much disturbed, but he slept on soundly, and when he
awaked it was broad day. He looked around in deep disappointment. Fog
was everywhere, as before, and nothing could be seen. Whether he was
near any shore or not he could not tell. Suddenly he noticed that the
wind was blowing from an opposite direction. How to account for this
was at first a mystery, for the fog still prevailed, and the opposite
wind could not bring fog. Was it possible that the boat had turned
during his sleep? He knew that it was quite possible. Indeed, he
believed that this was the case. With this impression he determined to
act on the theory that the boat had turned, and not that the wind had
changed. The latter idea seemed impossible. The wind was the chill,
damp fog wind--the sou-wester. Convinced of this, Tom turned the boat,
and felt satisfied that he had resumed his true course.
After a time the wind went down, and the sail flapped idly against the
mast. Tom was in a fever of impatience, but could do nothing. He felt
himself to be once more at the mercy of the tides. The wind had failed
him, and nothing was left but to drift. All that day he drifted, and
night came on. Still it continued calm. Tom was weary and worn out,
but so intense was his excitement that he could not think of sleep. At
midnight the wind sprung up a little; and now Tom determined to keep
awake, so that the boat might not again double on her track. He blamed
himself for sleeping on the previous night, and losing so much
progress. Now he was determined to keep awake.
His resolution was carried out. His intense eagerness to reach some
shore, no matter where, and his fear of again losing what he had
gained, kept sleep from his eyes. All that night he watched his boat.
The wind blew fitfully, sometimes carrying the boat on rapidly, again
dying down.
So the next morning came.
It was Thursday.
It was Monday night when he had drifted out, and all that time he had
been on the deep, lost in the fog.
And now, wearied, dejected, and utterly worn out, he looked around in
despair, and wondered where this would end. Fog was everywhere, as
before, and, as before, not a thing could be seen.
Hours passed on; the wind had sprang up fresh, and the boat went on
rapidly.
Suddenly Tom sprang upright, and uttered a loud cry.
There full before him he saw a giant cliff, towering far overhead,
towards which the boat was sailing. At its base the waves were
dashing. Over its brow trees were bending. In the air far above he
heard the hoarse cries of sea-gulls.
In his madness he let the boat drive straight on, and was close to it
before he thought of his danger. He could not avoid it now, however,
for he did not know how to turn the boat. On it went, and in a few
moments struck the beach at the base of the cliff.