leaping frantically about the raft, waving his hands and
shrieking as before. The consequence was that the raft got further and
further away, at a rate which gave but little hope that Nub would
overtake it. The mate's brave heart almost died within him at the
thought that not his life only, but that of the little girl and Nub,
would be sacrificed. Nub was exerting himself to the utmost. Never had
he swam so fast. But he soon saw that all his efforts would not enable
him to overtake the raft. Again and again he shouted to Walter to lower
the sail: Walter only shrieked louder in return, calling him to come to
his help--and Nub expected every moment to see him leap into the water,
when, in all probability, he would be drowned. Still the brave black
persevered.

"Lower de sail, Massa Walter, lower de sail!" he shouted; "you all right
if you do dat. De mate save Missie Alice, so no fear about her. Lower
de sail! Oh, de poor boy gone mad!"

In vain Nub shouted; Walter only waved his hands more frantically, till,
overcome by terror, he sank down exhausted on the raft, and Nub saw that
it would be impossible to overtake it while it continued running at its
present speed. The only hope was that the wind might drop, or shift,
and bring it back to them. This, however, was barely probable; the
breeze was blowing fresh, and the light raft, having now no longer their
weight on it, skimmed swiftly over the surface. Still Nub persevered in
endeavouring to obey the mate's orders; he was ready to swim on till he
sank exhausted. Happily he was as much at home in the water as on
shore, and by turning on his back or treading water, or swimming in a
variety of other ways, could keep up for several hours together.

He turned his head round and saw that the mate had reached Alice and was
supporting her in his arms. "De mate swim well, I know, so he keep up
de little girl while I go after de raft," he said to himself, and he
again made way; but though he swam rapidly, the raft skimmed along at a
still faster rate, and had he not even yet trusted to the possibility of
either a change of wind or a calm, he would have given up the attempt as
hopeless. He thought, too, that Walter might perhaps regain his senses,
and do what alone could preserve his own life and that of his friends.
Left by himself on the raft, he must inevitably perish as well as they.
Inspired by this hope, the gallant black pursued his course undaunted by
the