Page:Cornelia Meigs--The island of Appledore.djvu/216

196 went inside and remained to help the old man prepare a breakfast of bacon and coffee, which tasted most delicious and was badly needed by  both of them.

It was still very early, with the sun only just coming up when he started homeward. He had borrowed the binoculars and went first  down to the point, hoping to have another  view of the captured yacht. The wind was blowing fiercer and fiercer, and the spray  dashing up in columns between the rocks. The yacht and two of her captors had disappeared, it was plain that they had made for some port other than Rockford. The third ship, however, was headed in his direction,  probably planning to make for Rockford or  possibly Piscataqua. She passed so close that Billy could see, through the glass, as plainly as  though he were alongside, her wave-swept  deck, her weary wind-buffeted crew, even the  worn faces of the officers on her bridge.

They had had a night of it, just as he had, but he was going to rest and to recover himself in peace and ease, while they had probably another day and night of just such toil and  watching before them, and another, and another. That was what war was! No gather-