Keeping watch, though, was more a figure of speech than an actuality, for the night was intensely dark and save for the lights of the towing craft nothing was discernible.
The sea arose under the growing strength of the nor'wester and soon the waves were thudding hard against the rail and the piled lumber and sending showers of spray across the deck.

The _Catspaw_ rolled and wallowed and the watchers at the bow soon knew from the sound of the straining cables that the cruisers were having difficulty.

Bert crawled forward through the darkness and spray and joined them.
"Joe says they'll be signalling to cast off the hawsers pretty quick," he bellowed above the wind and waves.

"He says we aren't making any headway at all now." "Gee, it'll be fine to be left pitching around here all night," said Perry alarmedly.

"If we only had an anchor--" "I'd rather keep on drifting," said Han.