, since no rain is likely
to come."

In vain, however, did we look around for sea-fowl; by their
non-appearance we feared that we must still be far distant from land.
Though we felt the gnawings of hunger, we suffered still more from
thirst. When I at length dropped off to sleep, I dreamed of sparkling
fountains; I saw bottles of champagne, and bitter beer, and all sorts of
cooling beverages,--which, however, in some unaccountable way, I could
not manage to carry to my lips.

But I will not dwell longer on the sufferings my companions and I
endured; the subject is a painful one.

Mudge would not let us take the remainder of the fish that night,
observing that it would last till the next morning, when we should want
it for breakfast. We all acquiesced in his decision. He was constantly
awake during the night, but the rest of us dozed for the greater part of
it. At daylight, when I awoke, I saw that he had rigged one of the oars
as a mast, to the upper end of which he had fastened a large
handkerchief.

"Rouse up, boys!" he said, "and take your breakfast; we shall obtain
relief to-day, or I am much mistaken."

"Why?" I groaned out--for I could scarcely speak.

"Because there is a breeze coming. And look up there at those birds--
perhaps one of them will come down and pay us a visit; and if so, we
mustn't stand on ceremony, but knock it inhospitably on the head."

Mudge got out the fish, and cut each in two.

"You must take a whole one," I said; "you require more food than we do,
and our lives depend on your keeping up your strength."

"No; I shall reserve it for luncheon," he answered; "even that little
will be better than nothing, and it will be something to look forward
to."

So dry were our mouths, however, we could scarcely masticate the
uncooked fish.

We again sank down into our places. I felt that I could not hold out
many hours longer; while the rest appeared still more exhausted.

Not a word was uttered by any of us excepting Mudge, who in vain
appealed to us to talk. "Say something, boys! say something!" he every
now and then cried out; "this silence is bad for us all. I won't ask
you to crack a joke, or tell a funny story; but talk, boys--talk!" A
groan was the only answer any of us gave.

A gentle breeze blew from the eastward; I had just consciousness enough
to be aware of that--to see honest Mudge sitting near me, and constantly
looking about him.

What length of time had passed