ld hold his breath. When he came up he
looked round. He was beyond the wreckage, and was also inside the line of
surf. Had the wave carried the ship her own length farther she would have
been out of danger. The river bank was but a couple of hundred yards away.
The water was still rough, but it was a long heavy swell rather than a
stormy sea, and Stephen, who had kicked off his shoes before the ship
struck, at once swam for the shore, and was not long in reaching it. After
resting for a minute or two he walked along the bank, and soon made out
four barrels that had men still clinging to them. Gradually, too, these
made their way ashore; the swimmers were all men who had been carried away
by the first wave that had swept over the boat. Of the others he could see
no signs. He thought he could make out two or three barrels in the middle
of the wreckage, but of this he was not sure, and had little doubt that
those who were with him at the time the ship went to pieces had all been
killed by the floating timber.

"Now, men," he said, when the four survivors had joined him, "shall we
keep together or try to make our way separately?"

The men consulted together, and then said that they thought they would
have more chance of making their way south were they to separate. Stephen
was glad of this decision, which, he had no doubt was arrived at from the
fear that if they were taken, and he was recognized to be an Englishman,
it would make their treatment worse than it would otherwise be. He himself
much preferred to go alone; he had no authority over these men, and five
men together were more likely to attract attention than one alone. Looking
across the river they saw a number of people on the opposite bank. They
were evidently inhabitants of the town, who, having seen the ship running
for shore, had come down to watch her fate, and to give any assistance in
their power. Stephen saw that they were waving their hands for them to
make up the bank, where there might be a ferry-boat to take them over. He
pointed this out to the men, and said, "I am afraid we shall be pursued
ere long. Of course, at present they take us for their own people; but
when they see that we do not cross, they will suspect the truth, and will
send over to see whether we have taken shelter in some village there may
be on this side. When they hear that we have not done so, they will guess
that we are Chilians, and there will be a hot pursuit for us. We will walk