d mate. Walter sprang on to the other raft, and quickly
had his dear little sister in his arms. They no longer thought of the
thunder roaring or the lightning flashing around them as they eagerly
recounted to each other their adventures. It seemed for the moment,
indeed, that all danger to them was over. They soon, however, inquired
of each other news of their father, and the fear that he might be lost,
or might be hopelessly searching for them, soon made them feel the
reality of their position. Nub in the meantime had told the mate all
that had happened on board, and his belief that a large raft had been
formed, and that the rest of the people had got away from the ship. He
told him also that he had seen nothing of it. It was possible, however,
that the captain's boat might have fallen in with it; and if so, they
would certainly have proceeded together towards the land.

"Our poor, poor father! how unhappy he will be at not finding us,"
ejaculated Walter and Alice together.

"He will not give up all hopes of your being restored to him; so don't
fret too much about it, my dear Miss Alice," said the mate, anxious to
comfort her. "He will know very well that Nub would not have deserted
you; and he will have heard from the people on board that Walter went
off with me; and very likely he will guess something like the truth.
And not knowing our boat was destroyed, he will fancy that I picked you
up, and that we have made our way in a well-found whale-boat towards the
shore."

"I hope he may think so," answered Alice. "I will try not to be too
anxious about him; and perhaps we shall meet each other before long."

"That's it, Miss Alice," said the mate. "Hope for the best. `Hope
still in God,' as He Himself in the Bible tells us to do, and don't be
cast down."

The night had been much further spent than those on the raft supposed.
The thunder gradually rolled away to the southward, and soon afterwards
the sun arose in the clear sky, shedding a brilliant glare across the
water. Directly the light appeared the mate exclaimed, "Now, Walter,--
now, Nub, as we have doubled our numbers, we must turn to and increase
the size of our raft."

"As you think best, Mr Shobbrok," answered Walter.

"Anything you tell me do, I do," said Nub.

"Well, we will pull your raft to pieces, and put the bow and stern on to
ours, and raise our bulwarks."

"Ay, ay, mate," answered Nub; and they immediately set to work. It was
an