It carried no sail, and after careful scrutiny Abel's sharp eyes could discern no man at the oars.

This, then, was the cause of Mrs.Abel's excitement.

The boat was unmanned--a derelict upon the broad Atlantic.
A drifting boat is fair booty on the Labrador coast.

It is the recognized property of the man who sees it and boards it first.

And should it be a trap boat he is indeed a fortunate man, for the value of a trap boat is often greater than a whole season's catch of fish.
So Abel lost no time in hauling in and coiling his jigger line, in adjusting his oars, and in pulling away toward the derelict with all the strength his strong arms and sinewy body could muster.
Abel had wished for a good sea boat all his life.