, they had either to do that or go without
breakfast; so, selecting the most tempting-looking, they cut it up, and,
after making a wry face over the first mouthful or two, managed to
satisfactorily dispose of it. That is to say, George and Tom did; but
poor Walford, on being offered a share, shook his head, murmured that he
was not hungry, and closed his eyes again in patient suffering. The
balance of the catch was carefully cleaned and strung up on the yard, in
the hope that it would dry in the sun.

Their great want now was _water_. Their hunger being satisfied, thirst
began to assert itself, and George would have landed upon the Isle of
Pines and endeavoured to find fresh water, but for the fact that he
caught sight of several people on the shore, who appeared to be watching
the boat with pertinacious curiosity. In this strait he tried the plan
of dipping his shirt into the sea, and putting it on again dripping wet;
and, to his great delight, he found that this proceeding had a very
sensible effect in mitigating thirst. Upon this, Tom tried the same
plan, with equally beneficial results, and then they well soused poor
Walford with sea-water, hoping that it would, to some extent, revive and
refresh him.

By mid-day the Isle of Pines was broad on their starboard quarter, the
last _Cay_ on the "Jardines" shoal had been passed, and they were fairly
at sea and in deep water. They might now reasonably look out for a
frigate at any moment; but, as it would not do to depend upon this
source of rescue alone, George continued to stand boldly to the
southward and eastward, hoping that by so doing he would not only
improve his prospects of falling in with a British frigate, but that he
would also--failing the frigate--meet with a friendly merchantman.

By sunset they were fairly out of sight of land, but, so far, nothing in
the shape of a sail had greeted their longing eyes. Once or twice a
white speck on the horizon had temporarily raised their hopes, but it
had vanished the next moment, being probably nothing more than the
sunlight flashing upon a sea-bird's wing.

George was hourly growing more and more anxious for a speedy rescue, not
so much on his own account as for Walford's sake, the condition of the
latter being such as to give rise to the liveliest apprehension. He had
eaten nothing since the previous day, pleading want of appetite, and as
the sun went down he watched its gradual disappearance beneath the
p