her to the many doubts I had to endure;
and as I thought upon such a mischance occurring, I again looked eagerly
outward, and ran my eyes in every direction over the surface of the bay,
only, as on every other occasion, to meet with sad disappointment.

For a long time I remained in the exact position I had first assumed--
that is with my arm thrown round the signal-staff, and hugging it as if
it were a dear friend. True, it was the only friend I had then; but for
it an attempt to have built the cairn would have been vain. Even could
I have raised it to the full height, it is neither likely that it would
have stood the water or that I could have held my position upon it.
Without the staff to hold on to, I could not have balanced my body on
its top.

This position, then, I kept, almost without moving a muscle of my body.
I dreaded even to change my feet from one stone to another lest the
movement might shake the pile and cause it to tumble down, and I knew
that if once down, there would be no chance to build it up again. The
time was past for that. The water all around the base of the staff was
now beyond my depth. I could not have moved a step without swimming.

I passed most of the time in gazing over the water; though I did not
move my body, I kept constantly turning my neck. Now looking before,
then behind, then to both sides, and the next moment repeating these
observations, until I had scanned the surface for the fiftieth time,
without sight of boat or ship to reward me. At intervals I watched the
returning tide, and the huge waves as they rolled towards me over the
reef, coming home from their far wanderings. They appeared angry, and
growled at me as they passed, as if to chide and scold me for being
there. What was I, weak mortal, doing in this their own peculiar home--
this ground that was the chosen spot for their wild play? I even
fancied that they talked to me. I grew dizzy as I watched them, and
felt as if I should swoon away and melt into their dark flood.

I saw them rising higher and higher, until they swept over the top of my
cairn, and covered my feet resting on it; higher still and yet higher,
till I felt them lipping against my knees. O! when will they stay?
When will they cease to come on?

Not yet--not yet--higher! higher! till I stand up to the waist in the
briny flood, and even above that the spray washes around me--against my
face--over my shoulders--into my mouth, and eyes, and e