age
of at least one vessel per day must pass within a few miles of this
spot. Of course it may happen that several days will pass without a
single craft of any kind coming along, but, to maintain the average, it
is equally likely that three or four may pass in the course of a dozen
hours. So you see our chance of being rescued is fairly good."

"Yes. But," she objected, "suppose it were unfortunately to happen that
several days--say seven or eight--were to elapse without our seeing a
sail; and that, afterwards, such ships as we might see were to pass us
at such a long distance that although they would be perfectly visible to
us, we should be quite invisible to them: What then?"

"In that case," said I, "there would be but one course open to us: we
should simply be obliged to keep sailing on until a ship approached us
near enough to see us, taking every care of ourselves meanwhile, and
omitting no opportunity to procure such means of supporting life as the
ocean has to offer us. And that reminds me that neither food nor drink
has passed our lips since dinner, last night: I know you are hungry,
because you said so some time ago; and, as for me, I am famishing. The
food at our disposal is not particularly inviting--simply raw chicken
and cold water--but it is at least fresh, and I think we ought to make
the most of it while it is in that condition."

Miss Onslow's appetite was not, however, as yet quite keen enough to
admit of her partaking of raw fowl; but she drank a little water out of
the baler--the only utensil we possessed. As she returned the baler to
me she remarked:

"You must not allow my squeamishness to be a bar to the satisfaction of
your own appetite, if you feel hungry enough to eat raw flesh. I have
been told that sailors are so often reduced to desperate straits that
they eventually become reconciled to the idea of eating almost anything,
and are consequently, as a rule, much less fastidious than such pampered
mortals as myself. Moreover, you must not forget that it is of the last
importance that _your_ strength should be maintained--for your own sake,
and for mine as well--if it is not too presumptuous of me to say such a
thing--therefore please make a meal, if you can. And, although I fully
realise how absolutely dependent upon you I am, I should like you to
understand that I do not mean to be a mere helpless burden to you, if it
can be avoided. I am perhaps not physically strong enough to b