When he reached the foot of that hill where the road should have been, he found that it had disappeared.

The tide had risen and covered it.
It was pitch-dark, the rain was less heavy, and clouds of fog were drifting in before the wind.

Seth waded on for a short distance, but soon realized that wading would be an impossibility.

Then, as in despair, he was about ready to give up the attempt, a dark object came into view beside him.

It was a dory belonging to one of the lobstermen, which, at the end of its long anchor rope, had swung inshore until it floated almost over the road.