The wind freshened as they got clear of the land, and soon the Dazzler was heeling it with her lee deck buried and the water churning by, half-way up the cockpit-rail. Side-lights had been hung out. 'Frisco Kid was steering¹, and by his side sat Joe, pondering over the events of the night.  
He could no longer blind himself to the facts. His mind was in a whirl of apprehension². If he had done wrong, he reasoned, he had done it through ignorance; and he did not feel shame for the past so much as he did fear for the future. His companions were thieves and robbers—the bay pirates, of whose wild deeds he had heard vague tales. And here he was, right in the midst of them, already possessing information which could send them to State's prison. This very fact, he knew, would force them to keep a sharp watch upon him and so lessen³ his chances of escape. But escape he would, at the very first opportunity.
 
At this point his thoughts were interrupted by a sharp squall, which hurled⁴ the Dazzler over till the sea rushed inboard. 'Frisco Kid luffed quickly, at the same time slacking off the main-sheet. Then, single-handed,—for French Pete remained below,—and with Joe looking idly on, he proceeded to reef down.
 
The squall which had so nearly capsized the Dazzler was of short duration, but it marked the rising of the wind, and soon puff⁵ after puff was shrieking⁶ down upon them out of the north. The mainsail was spilling the wind, and slapping and thrashing about till it seemed it would tear itself to pieces. The sloop⁷ was rolling wildly in the quick sea which had come up. Everything was in confusion; but even Joe's untrained eye showed him that it was an orderly confusion. He could see that 'Frisco Kid knew just what to do and just how to do it. As he watched him he learned a lesson, the lack of which has made failures of the lives of many men—the value of knowledge of one's own capacities. 'Frisco Kid knew what he was able to do, and because of this he had confidence in himself. He was cool and self-possessed, working hurriedly but not carelessly. There was no bungling⁸. Every reef-point was drawn⁹ down to stay. Other accidents might occur, but the next squall, or the next forty squalls, would not carry one of those reef-knots away.
 
He called Joe for'ard to help stretch the mainsail by means of swinging on the peak and throat-halyards. To lay out on the long bowsprit and put a single reef in the jib was a slight task compared with what had been already accomplished¹⁰; so a few moments later they were again in the cockpit. Under the other lad's directions, Joe flattened¹¹ down the jib-sheet, and, going into the cabin, let down a foot or so of centerboard. The excitement of the struggle had chased all unpleasant thoughts from his mind. Patterning after the other boy, he had retained his coolness. He had executed his orders without fumbling¹², and at the same time without undue¹³ slowness. Together they had exerted their puny¹⁴ strength in the face of violent nature, and together they had outwitted her.
 
He came back to where his companion stood at the tiller steering, and he felt proud of him and of himself; and when he read the unspoken praise in 'Frisco Kid's eyes he blushed like a girl at her first compliment. But the next instant the thought flashed across him that this boy was a thief, a common thief; and he instinctively¹⁵ recoiled¹⁶. His whole life had been sheltered from the harsher things of the world. His reading, which had been of the best, had laid a premium¹⁷ upon honesty and uprightness, and he had learned to look with abhorrence¹⁸ upon the criminal classes. So he drew a little away from 'Frisco Kid and remained silent. But 'Frisco Kid, devoting all his energies to the handling of the sloop, had no time in which to remark this sudden change of feeling on the part of his companion.
 
But there was one thing Joe found in himself that surprised him. While the thought of 'Frisco Kid being a thief was repulsive¹⁹ to him, 'Frisco Kid himself was not. Instead of feeling an honest desire to shun²⁰ him, he felt drawn toward him. He could not help liking²¹ him, though he knew not why. Had he been a little older he would have understood that it was the lad's good qualities which appealed to him—his coolness and self-reliance, his manliness²² and bravery, and a certain kindliness²³ and sympathy in his nature. As it was, he thought it his own natural badness which prevented him from disliking 'Frisco Kid; but, while he felt shame at his own weakness, he could not smother²⁴ the warm regard which he felt growing up for this particular bay pirate.
 
"Take in two or three feet on the skiff's painter," commanded 'Frisco Kid, who had an e............