e chest up to us. It will serve as a
boat for you," said Mr Shobbrok.

"But where is Walter? What has become of the raft?" exclaimed Alice,
who had hitherto been unaware of her brother's unhappy condition, and
had not noticed that the raft had glided far away from them.

"We must try and overtake Walter as soon as we get you safe on the
chest," answered the mate. "It will be a long swim; but we must hope to
get something to support ourselves, for I fear that the chest will not
hold us all."

"Oh, what can have made Walter sail away again?" asked Alice; and then
another thought seemed to strike her, as the mate did not immediately
answer. "Oh, tell me, Mr Shobbrok," she exclaimed,--"was the raft
drawn down by the whale, and has my dear brother been drowned?"

"The raft is all right, and I hope Walter is on it," he answered, after
a minute's hesitation. "We may come up with it before long. Don't
think any more about it just now. See Nub; he's bringing the chest to
us,--and a fine large sea-chest it is too, and by-and-by we will open
it, and ascertain what it contains. I suspect that it's a carpenter's
chest; though, as it floats high out of the water, it cannot contain
many tools, but it may possibly have some which will be useful to us
when we get on shore."

"When will that be, do you think?" asked Alice.

"There's no saying exactly, but we will hope for the best," answered the
mate evasively. "See, here comes Nub. He will soon be up with us, and
we will then begin our voyage."

The mate had no little difficulty in speaking; for, strong as he was,
the exertion of treading the water so long was very considerable. He
was very thankful when at length Nub got up to them.

"Here is de chest," exclaimed the black. "Now de sooner Missie Alice on
de top of it de better." Fortunately there were several turns of rope
round the chest, by means of which Nub held to one side, and the mate
balancing it, enabled Alice to climb up on the other. He then told her
to lie down along it, exactly in the centre, so that it might be as well
balanced as possible. "All right, Missie Alice?" asked Nub, looking up
at her while he grasped the rope fastened to the chest; the mate, who
required a few minutes' rest, supporting himself on the other.

"Yes, I feel very secure," said Alice; "and I only wish that you and Mr
Shobbrok could get up and sit on it also."

"We should roll it over if we did, and tumble you into the wate