PELE OO Mh Ee IN AUN GLE Ts YS Odes:

“Well,” said Jack, “I
was born and brought up
over there on Nantucket,
and I don’t think there are
many rocks or shoals to
the west’ard of the ‘ Cape’
that I don’t know.”

“Maybe you can tell
us where we are; that is,
exactly ; of course I know
approximately,” added the
captain.

“ Yes, sir; Ican. You
are about one mile from
‘Old Man, and it bears
broad off the port bow.”
“But that is impossible,” interrupted the
navigator. “ We have been steering north by
east since midnight. Old Man Shoal must be
five miles to the westward,” and he popped his
head into the chart-box.

Captain Somerset looked at Jack inquivingly.

“Tt is on account of the currents,” he ex-
plained; “you can’t tell anything about the
currents on these shoals, except from experi-
ence ; they run every which way, and change
once or twice ina tide. Just now, off to the
east’ard it’s running strong to the north’ard ;
down by the lightship it is just about turning
to the east’ard, and here it is running to the
north’ard and west’ard like a mill-race.”

Jack, in the novelty of his position, had
forgotten for the moment the fact, of which he
was fully aware, that the vessel drifting with

“MR. WINTER, I ENGAGE you as riot.” the strong tide was driving directly on the
dangerous shoal.

The current question had recalled it to his mind, as it did to the captain’s
also at the same moment.

“Then,” he said, “we are drifting right on to Old Man Shoal ?”

“Yes, sir,” responded Jack.

The captain was prompt to make up his mind. He turned quickly to the
officer of the deck.