it appeared, and
this time the raft was seen more distinctly, and on it appeared a human
form, grasping the planks firmly with one hand as he lay along then he
waved the other to show that he was alive. No sooner was he seen than
the agitation of the young black became very great; and taking the end
of a rope from one of the men, he fastened it round his own body, and
intimated that he would swim off with it to the raft. There was no time
to be lost, for any moment the lad--for lad he evidently was--might be
swept off by the breakers, or the raft might be thrown violently on the
shore, and he crushed beneath it. The captain and Tom also fastened
ropes round their waists, as sailors well know how to do, and rushed
into the surf to help the brave black boy. The raft came on towards
them; the black boy sprang on it, and seized the lad, who seemed at that
moment to have lost all consciousness. An instant longer, and he would
have been swept away. The receding waters rushed back with the raft.
The black boy, though an excellent swimmer, could scarcely support his
friend as those on shore hauled him in, when the captain and Tom rushed
to his aid. The captain stuck his timber-toe in the sand, Tom caught
the stranger's jacket with his iron hook, and all three brought him at
length safely up the beach out of the reach of the surf, which came
hissing after them as if angry at the loss of its prey.

"Now, lads, carry him up among you to the tower; a warm bed and some hot
grog is what the lad now wants!" cried the captain, who possibly felt
that it was high time for himself to get to a warm bed, for he was not
so strong as he had been, and he had gone through great exertions.

It was too evident, that if the raft had had more occupants, the lad was
the only survivor. The light of the moon, as it shone on him as the
seamen bore him up to the tower, showed that he was dressed in a sea
officer's uniform jacket, such as is worn by midshipmen--to which rank,
from his youth, it seemed probable that he belonged. Tom had hurried on
before, so that when the party arrived, Mrs Askew, Margery, and Becky,
were busily preparing and warming Jack's bed for the young stranger.
The warmth and rubbing soon brought him to consciousness; but Mrs
Askew, observing his exhausted condition, would not let him speak to
give any account of himself until he had had some sleep, without which
it was evident that food would do him but little good. The