No pleasure-boats or craft of any sort put out from Silverstrand that afternoon.

The wind eventually blew away the clouds and revealed a foaming, sunlit sea.

But the waves were immense at high tide, and the fishermen muttered among themselves and stared darkly out over the mighty breakers.
It was known among them that a boat had put out to sea in the morning and had not returned before the rising of the gale.

There were heavy hearts in Old Silverstrand that day.

But to launch another boat to search for the missing one was out of the question.