Page:Cornelia Meigs--The island of Appledore.djvu/73

57 big sail fluttered and trembled a moment, then came over with a rush, and the catboat was off  on her new tack. To Billy it seemed as though the wind had totally changed in direction, as though the small vessel were tipping  dangerously, and as though anything might happen at any moment, but he kept manfully  silent about it all. If this was the way one learned to sail a boat, he supposed that he  could master it as well as another.

Captain Saulsby seemed to be totally unaware of his torment of mind. He still sat, gazing moodily out to sea and saying not a  word.

“You’d better come about now,” he remarked suddenly when they had sailed some distance toward the lighthouse. After an instant of indecision and fumbling awkwardness, come about Billy did, with more ease this time,  but no great knowledge of just what was happening. Once more they stood off on the new course, the tubby little craft rising and dipping bravely, Billy clinging to the tiller and beginning to feel suddenly that the boat was  a live thing under his hand, ready to do his  slightest bidding.

“Once more,” ordered Captain Saulsby