"
At last, after many days, their strength was all but worn out. They had
long since given over rowing, and contented themselves with running under
a close-reefed canvas whithersoever the storm should choose. At night a
sea broke over them, and would have swamped the _Otter_, had she not
been the best of sea-boats. But she only rolled the lee shields into the
water and out again, shook herself, and went on. Nevertheless, there were
three men on the poop when the sea came in, who were not there when it
went out.
Wet and wild dawned that morning, showing naught but gray sea and gray
air. Then sang Hereward,--
"Cheerly, my sea-cocks
Crow for the day-dawn.
Weary and wet are we,
Water beladen.
Wetter our comrades,
Whelmed by the witch-whale.
Us Aegir granted
Grudging, to Gondul,
Doomed to die dry-shod,
Daring the foe."
Whereat the hearts of the men were much cheered.
All of a sudden, as is the wont of gales at dawn, the clouds rose, tore up
into ribbons, and with a fierce black shower or two, blew clean away;
disclosing a bright blue sky, a green rolling sea, and, a few miles off to
leeward, a pale yellow line, seen only as they topped a wave, but seen
only too well. To keep the ship off shore was impossible; and as they
drifted nearer and nearer, the line of sand-hills rose, uglier and more
formidable, through the gray spray of the surf.
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