ail quickly
finished him. He was soon cut up, some part of him was eaten fresh, and
the rest was hung up to dry. The men would have thrown what they did
not want overboard, but their commander reminded them that bad weather
might come on, when they could not catch another, and that they should
preserve a store for such an event. It was fortunate this forethought
was shown, for that very night a strong breeze sprang up, and the frail
raft was tossed up and down till there appeared every chance of its
upsetting or being knocked to pieces. Happily more rain came down and
refreshed them, and the clouds sheltered them from the scorching rays of
the sun, or not one of them would have held out.

Sadly were their numbers reduced. Ten Englishmen and the young African
chief only now remained alive. Some of them appeared almost at death's
door, and they would have slipped from the raft had not their comrades
held them on. Darkness again came down on the waters, and the
wave-tossed raft drove onwards no one knew in what direction. The stars
were hidden--they had no compass--nor, had they possessed one, was there
a lantern by which to see it. Great were the horrors of that night and
of two succeeding nights; still neither did the gallant Hemming nor his
two younger companions allow their courage to desert them. They
conversed as much as they could, they talked of their past lives, they
even spoke of the future; nor did they forget to pray to Heaven for
strength to support whatever might yet be in store for them. Still the
wet and cold of the night, and the heat of the day, was telling
fearfully on all of them.

"When do you think we shall reach the shore, sir?" asked Jack. "We have
been driving for a long time towards it nicely."

"In two days if the wind holds," answered Hemming; "perhaps in less time
we may sight it."

But the wind did not hold. Once more they knew that they were being
blown off it. Their hearts sank. They wellnigh gave way to despair.
Each of the officers took it in turns to stand up to keep a lookout for
a sail or for land. Jack was standing on the top of the cask, holding
on by the mast, when his eye fell on a white glittering object to the
northward.

"Yes, it is! it is!" he exclaimed; "a sail! a sail! she must be standing
this way." All but the weakest or most desponding turned their anxious
eyes in the direction Jack indicated. The sight of some was already too
dim to discern her, but