Archie, who did not feel confidence in his power to manager her now in such a sea, took his seat by the man on the stroke thwart, and double banked his oar.

Five minutes desperate rowing and they were under shelter of Oronsay, and were rowing more quickly up the narrow strait and towards the shore of Colonsay, where they intended to land.

A quarter of an hour more and they stepped ashore.
The old fisherman raised his hat reverently.

"Let us thank God and all the saints," he said, "who have preserved us through such great danger.

I have been nigh fifty years at sea, and never was out in so wild a gale." For a few minutes all stood silent and bare headed, returning fervent thanks for their escape.
"It is well," the old man said, as they moved inland, "that I have been so far north before; there are but few in Rathlin who have even been north of Islay, but sometimes when fish have been very plentiful in the island, and the boat for Ayr had already gone, I have taken up a boatload of fish to the good monks of Colonsay, who, although fairly supplied by their own fishermen, were yet always ready to pay a good price for them.