McCoy and the mate tried it, and felt the line thrumming and vibrating savagely to the grip of the tidal stream.
"An easterly current instead of a westerly," said Captain "Davenport, glaring accusingly at McCoy, as if to cast the blame for it upon him.
"That is one of the reasons, Captain, for insurance being eighteen per cent in these waters," McCoy answered cheerfully.
"I don't know, Captain," McCoy said with great gentleness.
At nightfall, without even consulting McCoy, he squared away and headed into the northwest.
"I'll get an observation in the morning," he told McCoy, "though what my latitude is, is a puzzler.
"Another twenty-four hours and we'll be there," Captain Davenport assured McCoy. :"It's a miracle the way the old girl's decks hold out.
"It's off to the westward," McCoy said encouragingly.
But it was McCoy who went forward, and in a few minutes had the boy comforted and asleep.
"We're all right now, Captain," said McCoy, standing close to his shoulder.
"I am no navigator, Captain," McCoy said in his mild way.
Officers and men were working like mad, cook and cabin boy, Captain Davenport himself, and McCoy all lending a hand.
And the first mate saw, and McCoy saw, and the crew saw, what he had seen.
"I know where we are now, Captain." McCoy lowered the glasses from his eyes.
"If we wreck her here," McCoy added, "we'd have to make the run to Barclay de Tolley in the boats just the same."
