But at this moment, one of the men having run to the edge of the hill to
take a short look at the hulk, cried out that a part of the great
superstructure over the quarter had been removed, or pushed back, and
that there was a figure there, seeming, so far as his unaided sight could
tell, to be looking through a spy-glass at the island. Now it would be
difficult to tell of all our excitement at this news, and we ran eagerly
to see for ourselves if it could be as he informed us. And so it was; for
we could see the person very clearly; though remote and small because of
the distance. That he had seen us, we discovered in a moment; for he
began suddenly to wave something, which I judged to be the spy-glass, in
a very wild manner, seeming also to be jumping up and down. Yet, I doubt
not but that we were as much excited; for suddenly I discovered myself to
be shouting with the rest in a most insane fashion, and more-over I was
waving my hands and running to and fro upon the brow of the hill. Then, I
observed that the figure on the hulk had disappeared; but it was for no
more than a moment, and then it was back and there were near a dozen with
it, and it seemed to me that some of them were females; but the distance
was over great for surety. Now these, all of them, seeing us upon the
brow of the hill, where we must have shown up plain against the sky,
began at once to wave in a very frantic way, and we, replying in like
manner, shouted ourselves hoarse with vain greetings. But soon we grew
wearied of the unsatisfactoriness of this method of showing our
excitement, and one took a piece of the square canvas, and let it stream
out into the wind, waving it to them, and another took a second piece and
did likewise, while a third man rolled up a short bit into a cone and
made use of it as a speaking trumpet; though I doubt if his voice carried
any the further because of it. For my part, I had seized one of the long
bamboo-like reeds which were lying about near the fire, and with this I
was making a very brave show. And so it may be seen how very great and
genuine was our exaltation upon our discovery of these poor people shut
off from the world within that lonesome craft.

Then, suddenly, it seemed to come to us to realize that _they_ were among
the weed, and _we_ upon the hilltop, and that we had no means of bridging
that which lay between. And at this we faced one another to discuss what
we should do to effect the rescue of those wi