At the turn of the tide, in two hours' time, something might be done.
"Us cannot see anything," a bystander said to Miriam.

"It is just there, where I am pointing.

Sea Andrew saw something a while back--says it looked like a schooner." The man stood pointing out to sea to the southward.

He carried an unlighted torch--a flare, roughly made, of tarred rope, bound round a stick.

At times, one or another would ignite his flare, and go down the beach holding it above his head, while he stood knee deep in the churning foam to peer out to sea.