ill remember what I said about not giving up," Dave reminded
his companions.

"Why, yes, I am buoyed up, and perhaps you men can manage to hold on,
also," admitted the woman. "Yet we must freeze to death."

"We will still dare to hope," Darrin replied, calmly.

"You are a splendid inspiration, Mr. Darrin!" declared the Englishman,
heartily. "I wish I could believe that you are a true prophet, as well."

"Oh, well," spoke Dave, with a lightness that was deceptive, "I've really
been in several worse scrapes than the present one."

But to himself he added:

"May I be forgiven for uttering what seems to me to be a possibly helpful
lie!"

Though they were now safely afloat for some time to come, their situation
rapidly became worse, owing to the increasing cold. Especially was this
noticeable in the case of the Englishwoman.

From time to time her eyes closed. When spoken to she had to exert
considerable effort to shake off her languor before she could reply. She
became still more drowsy; evidently she was on the verge of freezing to
death. From speaking kindly her husband dropped into sharp tones for the
sole purpose of keeping her awake. Presently he was forced to resort to
light blows in order to bully her into wakefulness. Once she fell soundly
asleep she would not again awake.

As for Captain Kennor, he held on almost dumbly. He seldom spoke, his
eyes mournfully regarding the woman whose battle for life was slowly
being lost.

"This is awful!" cried the Englishman, hoarsely, after another effort to
rouse his wife from slumber.

"For all of us," Darrin admitted, "though there is still hope."

"Where?" inquired Captain Kennor.

"I do not know," Dave confessed. "Yes, I do, too, though! Look yonder!
No, in that direction!"

At first the others could not make it out. Captain Kennor was the first
to see what Dave had found. It was only a low, dark cloud on the horizon,
and it looked as though smaller clouds detached themselves and sailed
away on the low-hanging sky.

"I see it, too!" cried the Englishman, at last. "But what is it?"

"A ship," Dave answered. "To be more exact, it looks like a destroyer,
and it looks too as though it might pass within a quarter of a mile of
us."

"Look, my dear--look!" the Englishman urged his wife, shaking her in his
eagerness to have her realize the thread of hope that dangled before
their eyes. "A ship coming! We are to be saved."

Her eyes opened at last; the woman st