Bart turned the helm a-starboard, as he had done before, while Bruce and Arthur swung the booms to assist the vessel. She came round that time all right. “Why, Bart! why didn’t you port the helm?” “Because I had to put the helm starboard to bring her round. It’s all right.” Bruce looked grave. He felt that he had committed a blunder. After all, which was port and which was starboard he hardly knew. He concluded after this to intrust the care of the vessel to one who knew, like Bart, and felt quite grateful to Bart for his delicacy in not exposing his ignorance. Away went the schooner--faster this time, for the wind had sprung up fresher. This was what Bart dreaded. But there was no help for it; so he kept on, with a vague expectation of some disaster. He now headed, as before, for O’Rafferty’s Island, and watched very anxiously to see how they were progressing. “You’d better head her a little to the north’ard, Bart,” said Arthur--“hadn’t you? so as to allow for that current.” “Very well,” said Bart; and he put the vessel a little closer in the direction indicated. But in doing so, the vessel began to stagger, and the sails began to flap and rattle, and Bart was filled with consternation. Hastily he restored the helm to its former position, but without any result. Then he tried the old manouvre, by means of which he had already turned her twice. It was of no use. The sails flapped, and the vessel danced, and Bart was about confessing his complete ignorance of everything, when suddenly her sails filled again, and to Bart’s amazement and delight she sailed off away from the island and back on the other tack. Bart’s heart was full of thankfulness, but he said not a word. He looked ahead as coolly as possible, and held the tiller as before. “Well, Bart, what are you up to now? Why don’t you head for O’Rafferty’s?” “Can’t,” said Bart, laconically. “Why not?” “Why, there are tides and currents about those islands enough to sweep away a line-of-battle ship. I don’t understand them. Didn’t you see what a scrape I got into just now? I won’t try O’Rafferty’s again in a hurry; but if any of you fellows choose to try it, I don’t care.” “O, no,” said Bruce, “we can’t do it if you can’t, Bart. But where are you going now?” “Well, I don’t know. We must make up our minds. I’m keeping my eye on the coast; and if I can find any place that looks like Pratt’s Cove, I’ll run in. The fact is, we must do something, or they’ll be frightened out of their wits about us.” “Pratt’s Cove? But how can we ever find the place?” “Perhaps, when we get in a little closer to the land, we may see it.”