CHAPTER XII
DRIFTING
Somehow, in spite of the fact that they tried to be brave, and to meet the danger with as stout hearts as possible, the Fairview boys could not repress a feeling of fear as the meaning of Bob's words came to them. And the speaker himself shuddered a little as he looked out on the heaving waters of the ocean, as the lightning made them plain to him.
"Well, there's one good thing," said Frank, taking a long breath, "we're not so likely to run into anything out here as we were in the cove or inlet."
"No, that's so," agreed Bob. "But the ocean is an awfully big place to be out on—in a small boat."
"This isn't such a small boat," said Sammy, quickly. "It's better to be in this than in our rowboat."
"Indeed it is!" said Frank. "Maybe we'll be all right by morning."
"That's so—we will have to stay out here all night, I guess," said Bob, ruefully. "There'll be no chance of being picked up until daylight, I reckon."
"If we're picked up then we'll be lucky," added Sammy. "This is different from Rainbow Lake and Pine Island. It's so much larger."
"But some ship might see our lights, and come for us," suggested Frank.
Bob shook his head.
"I was talking to Silas about that the other day," he said.
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