She did not strike; the surf was level with her quarter, and Jake,
thrusting down a long boathook, found no bottom. In another minute or two
the water suddenly got smooth, and he threw down the boathook.
"We're through," he said in a strained voice. "The reef's astern."
"Try the hand-lead," Dick ordered him, as he changed his course, since he
was apparently heading for the beach.
Jake got four fathoms and soon afterwards eighteen feet, when Dick
stopped the engine and the launch rolled upon the broken swell. A dark
streak that looked like forest indicated the land, and a line of foam
that glimmered with phosphorescent light ran outshore of them. Now they
were to lee of the reef, the hoarse clamor of the surf rang about the
boat. Unfolding the chart, they studied it by the engine-lamp. It was on
too small a scale to give many details, but they saw that the reef ran
roughly level with the coast and ended in a nest of shoals near a point.
"We could ride out a gale here," Jake remarked.
"We could, if we wanted," Dick replied.
Jake looked at him rather hard and then made a sign of resignation.
"Well, I guess I've had enough, but if you're going on---- How do you
reckon you'll get through the shoals ahead?"
"I imagine some of them are mangrove islands, and if so, there'll be a
channel of a sort between them. In fact, the chart the broker showed me
indicated something of the kind. With good luck we may find it."
"Very well," said Jake. "I'm glad to think it will be a soft bottom if we
run aground."
They went on, keeping, so far as they could judge, midway between reef
and beach, but after a time the lead showed shoaling water and Jake used
the boathook instead. Then the sky cleared and a half-moon came out, and
they saw haze and the loom of trees outshore of them. Slowing the engine,
they moved on cautiously while the water gradually got shallower, until
glistening banks of mud began to break the surface. Then they stopped the
engine, but found the launch still moved forward.
"I imagine it's about four hours' flood," Dick remarked. "That means the
water will rise for some time yet, and although the current's with us now
I think we can't be far off the meeting of the tides."
Jake nodded. In places of the kind, the stream often runs in from both
ends until it joins and flows in one direction from the shoalest spot.
"Then we ought to find a channel leading out on the other side."
They let the engine run for a few minutes until the boat touched bottom
and stuck fast in the mud. The wind seemed to be falling and the roar of
the surf had got fainter. Thin haze dimmed the moonlight and there were
strange splashings in the water that gently lapped about the belts of
mud. The stream stopped running, but seeing no passage they waited and
smoked.