Seth’sanxietywasrelieved，butthatoneglimpsemadehimevenmoreeagerforhome。Herowedonforashorttime，andthenbeganedgingintowardtheinvisibleleft-handshore。Judgingbythelengthoftimehehadbeenrowing，hemustbeclosetothemouthoftheSlough，where，windingthroughthesaltmarshes，itemergedintotheBackHarbor。
Hecreptinnearerandnearer，butnoshorecameinsight。Thefogwasnowsothickthathecouldseenotmorethantenfeetfromtheboat，butifhewasinthemouthoftheSloughheshouldhavegroundedonthemarshbanklongbefore。Thereasonthathedidnot，areasonwhichdidnotoccurtohimatthetime，wasthatthemarsheswerefourfeetunderwater。OwingtothetremendoustidePounddugSloughwasnowmerelyacontinuationoftheHarborandalmostaswide。
Thelightkeeperbegantothinkthathemusthavemiscalculatedhisdistance。Hecouldnothaverowedasfarashethought。Therefore，heagainturnedthedory’snoseintotheteethofthewindandpulledsteadilyon。Atintervalshestoppedandlistened。Allheheardwasthemoanofdistantfoghornsandthewhistlingofthegustsintreessomewhereathisleft。TherewerepinegrovesscatteredallalongthebluffsontheEastboroside，sothisdidnothelphimmuchexcepttoprovethattheshorewasnotfaraway。Hepulledharderontherightoar。Thenhestoppedoncemoretolisten。
Anotherblasthowledthroughthedistanttreesandsweptdownuponhim。Then，borneonthewind，heheardfromsomewhereahead，andalarminglynearathand，othersounds，voices，callsforhelp。
\"Ahoy！\"heshouted。\"Ahoythere！Whoisit？Whereareyou？\"