nd talked of what
we should do. Far away to the east we could see the blue outline of the
island we had left, but what part to steer for we could not make up our
minds. There was only one thing we determined--come what might, not to
go back and be made slaves of. It seemed useless to be paddling away
and yet not to know where we were going to; but we still hoped that we
might fall in with some merchant vessel, it mattered not of what
country, though we wished she might be English, and so we might find our
way home.

"`Come, let's be moving,' said Jack, at last. `I've heard say that
there are Dutch and Spanish settlements out in these parts, and maybe we
shall fall in with one of them, and both the mynheers and dons are good
sort of people, and will treat us kindly.'

"So we took to our paddles and made our way to the westward. All day we
paddled on, but no land appeared in sight, and now and then we stopped
to take some food and a drink of water, but it was tiring work. We were
thankful when night came at last. We didn't sleep so long, and were at
our paddles before daybreak, for we knew by the stars how to steer.

"Next day we did just the same, and the next after that.

"`I say, Miles,' said Jack, `we must soon manage to come to land or we
shall be starving. We have not got food nor water for more than one day
longer, and without them we shall not be able to hold out.'

"That was very true; still neither of us thought of giving in. A light
breeze from the eastward had sprung up, so that we made good way, but
there was no land to be seen ahead. We didn't talk much, for we had
said all we could say about our prospects, and they were bad enough.
But they became worse when we had drunk up all the water and eaten every
bit of food we had in the boat. I had heard of people going three or
four days without eating, but the want of water was the worst. We would
have given a heap of gold if we had had it for a cupful. The wind now
shifted to the southward, and blew much stronger than before, knocking
up a sea which threatened every moment to swamp our boat, which was not
fitted for rough water. We now began to think that it was all up with
us, and that all we could do was just to keep the boat's head to the
seas to prevent her from capsizing.

"At last Jack sang out, `A sail! A sail to the southward!'

"There she was, coming up before the wind. A strange-looking,
outlandish craft she seemed as she drew ne