Even a big vessel like the Kansas shrinks
to small proportions when she is a mile or more distant at night. She
becomes indivisible, a mere atom in the immensity of the black waters;
it demands an effort of the imagination to credit her with wide decks,
streets of cabins, and cavernous holds. In one respect the exhibition
of the port and starboard lights served them most excellently. Guanaco
Hill was directly astern of the ship; they had absolutely no trouble in
maintaining a straight line for their destination, all that was
necessary being to keep the mast-head light in the exact center of the
green and red points.
Suarez, somewhat weak from his knock on the head over night, was not
equal to the strain of continued exertion, so Elsie and Gray took two
oars each, and allowed their companion to rest. When, judging by the
surrounding hills, they were half way across the inlet, Gray stooped
low in the boat, struck a match, and looked at his watch. It was long
after one o'clock! There could be no doubt whatever that the dawn
would find them far from the ship, no matter how fortunate they might
be in their further adventures.
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