sure to
find some such place ere long."

"Don't look very like it," muttered Black Ned, gloomily.

"We can see how it looks about as well as you can," retorted John
Mitford, indignantly. "If ye can't say somethin' to cheer the women,
there's no need for to look blue an' tell us what a mere babby could see
for itself."

This remark, coming as it did from lugubrious Mitford, caused Terrence
O'Connor to smile.

"True for ye," he said, "we can see what's fornint us, but even Black
Ned can't see round the corner."

"Besides, there may be a flat shore on the other side o' the island,"
added Bob Massey in a cheerful tone; "I've often noticed islands o' this
build, and when they're so high on one side they usually are low on the
opposite side; so we'll only have to pull round--an' mayhap there are
people on it--who knows?"

"Ay, natives pr'aps," growled Jarring, "an' cannibals who are fond of
eatin' white folk--specially women!"

"Shut up your black muzzle, or I'll heave ye overboard!" said Mitford,
fiercely, for like many easy-going, quiet men, he was unusually savage
when fairly roused.

Whatever Black Ned may have felt, he gave no expression to his thoughts
or feelings by word or look, but continued calmly to pull his oar.

All that day, and all that night, however, the party pulled steadily
along the shore without finding an opening in the cliffs or any part
which could be scaled by man. During this period their plight was
miserable in the extreme, for the weather at the time was bitterly cold;
they were drenched through and through with spray, which broke so
frequently over the side as to necessitate constant baling, and, to make
matters worse, towards evening of the second day snow began to fall and
continued to do so the greater part of the night. Fortunately, before
dark they came to some small rocky islets, on which they could not land
as the waves washed over them, but in the lee of which they cast anchor,
and thus were enabled to ride out a furious gale, which sprang up at
sunset and did not subside till morning.

It need scarcely be said that the men did all that lay in their power to
shelter the poor women, who had exhibited great fortitude and
uncomplaining endurance all that weary time; but little could be done
for them, for there was not even a bit of sail to put over them as a
protection.

"Nellie, dear," said Massey, when the boat was brought up under the lee
of the rocks, "d'ee feel _very_ c