tiny, but did not speak a word. I pitied him
sincerely, for he alone of us all felt that he had not the right to put
an end to his misery. For myself I had fully determined that if I
lived till the following day, I would die by my own hand. Whether my
companions were still alive, I hardly cared to know; it seemed as though
days had passed since I had seen them.

Night drew on, but I could not sleep for a moment. Towards two o'clock
in the morning my thirst was so intense that I was unable to suppress
loud cries of agony. Was there nothing that would serve to quench the
fire that was burning within me? What if instead of drinking the blood
of others I were to drink my own? It would be all unavailing, I was well
aware, but scarcely had the thought crossed my mind, than I proceeded to
put it into execution. I unclasped my knife, and, stripping my arm, with
a steady thrust I opened a small vein. The blood oozed out slowly, drop
by drop, and as I eagerly swallowed the source of my very life, I felt
that for a moment my torments were relieved, But only for a moment; all
energy had failed my pulses, and almost immediately the blood had ceased
to flow.

How long it seemed before the morning dawned! and when that morning came
it brought another fog, heavy as before that again shut out the horizon.
The fog was hot as the burning steam that issues from a boiler. It was
to be my last day upon earth, and I felt that I would like to press the
hand of a friend before I died. Curtis was standing near, and crawling
up to him, I took his hand in my own. He seemed to know that I was
taking my farewell, and with one last lingering hope he endeavoured to
restrain me. But all in vain, my mind was finally made up.

I should have like to speak once again to M. Letourneur, Andre and Miss
Herbey, but my courage failed me. I knew that the young girl would read
my resolution in my eyes, and that she would speak to me of duty and of
God, and of eternity, and I dared not meet her gaze; and I would not
run the risk of being persuaded to wait until a lingering death should
overtake me. I returned to the back of the raft, and after making
several efforts, I managed to get on to my feet. I cast one long look at
the pitiless ocean and the unbroken horizon; if a sail or the outline of
a coast bad broken on my view, I believe that I should only have deemed
myself the victim of an illusion; but nothing of the kind appeared, and
the sea was dreary as a des