of memory that he could
recollect his position.

He looked all around, but nothing was visible. There was nothing
around him but darkness, intense and utter. It was like the
impenetrable veil that had enshrouded him during the night of his
memorable voyage. He could not see where his boat was. A vague idea
which he had of examining its fastening was dismissed. He felt hungry,
and found the biscuit box lying under one corner of the sail. A few of
these were sufficient to gratify his hunger. Nothing more could be
done, and he saw plainly that it would be necessary for him to wait
there patiently until morning. Once more, therefore, he rolled himself
up in the sail, and tried to go to sleep. But at first his efforts
were vain. The first fatigue had passed away, and now that he had been
refreshed by sleep, his mind was too much occupied by thoughts of his
past voyage to be readily lulled to sleep again. He could not help
wondering what Captain Corbet and the boys were doing. That they were
searching for him everywhere he well knew, but which direction they had
chosen he could not tell. And what was the place whither he had
drifted? He felt confident that it was the mouth of the Petitcodiac,
and could not help wondering at the accuracy of his course; yet, while
wondering, he modestly refrained from taking the credit of it to
himself, and rather chose to attribute it to the wind and tide. It was
by committing himself so completely to their guidance, he thought, that
he had done so well.

In the midst of such thoughts as these, Tom became aware of the howling
of the wind and the dash of the waters. Putting forth his head, he
found that there was quite a storm arising; and this only added to his
contentment. No fear had he now, on this solid ground, of rising wind
or swelling wave. Even the fog had lost its terrors. It was with
feelings like these that he once more covered up his head from the
night blast; and not long after he was once more asleep.

When he next awaked, it was day. Starting to his feet, he looked
around him, and shouted for joy. The sky was clear. The sun was
rising, and its rays, coming from over the distant hills, were
glittering over the surface of the water. The wind had changed. The
fog had dispersed.

No sooner had he seen this than he was filled with curiosity to know
where he was. This did not look much like the mouth of the
Petitcodiac. He stared around with a very strang