to guide us to any
habitation. We went on a little way, and then the mate and Charley said
they could go no further. I also felt my strength almost exhausted, but
I knew that it would not do for all of us to give in, so I roused myself
to exertion. That I might try and learn our position before night
completely overtook us, I climbed up to the top of the highest rock I
could find and looked around me. Not a habitation or a sign of one
could I discover, or a road or path of any sort,--while wild heath, or
sand, or rock stretched away on every side, looking cold and bleak as
well could be, in that dark, dreary March evening. With this uncheering
information I found my way back to my companions. We could not attempt
to move on in the dark, so we looked about for some place where we might
find shelter during the night.

"Oh, Will, I wish we had some food, though," said Charley; "I am dying
of hunger."

So was I, and before moving further I returned to the beach, and with my
knife cut off a number of shell-fish from the rocks, and filled my
pockets with them. With this provision I returned to my companions, and
sat down by their side. We ate a few, which much refreshed us, and
Charley said he could go on, but the old mate declared his inability to
move further.

Accordingly, Charley and I hunted about in every direction, and at last
came on a shallow cave on the lee side of a rock. The sand inside was
dry, and after being exposed so long to the cold wind we thought the air
warm, so we helped the old man into it, and placed him in the warmest
and driest spot we could find out. He did not seem to care about
eating, but complained bitterly of thirst. Charley could no longer
move, so I went out to try and find some water. As I was groping about,
almost giving up the search in despair, I felt my foot splash into a
puddle. I knelt down. It was clear, pure water, and I drank as much as
I required. How grateful I felt! I thought that I had never tasted a
more delicious draught. I had saved my hat, and filling it from the
pool, I carried the water to my two companions. We longed to be able to
light a fire, but we had in the first place no flint and steel to
produce a flame, so of course it was not worth while to search about for
fuel. At last, finding I could do nothing else for the comfort of my
companions, I sat down beside them and opened some more of the
shell-fish, which we ate raw. They served to stay ou