ve the surface, or some huge monster was seen gambolling at
a distance, no living thing, however, came near to enable them to
satisfy their craving hunger. Thus the day passed away, and night once
more threw her sable mantle over the ocean. The sky was clear. Archie
thought it was his duty to try and sit up and keep watch, but it was
more than he could do, and in a short time both he and Desmond dropped
off into a sound slumber. Hour after hour they continued in a
half-waking, half-sleeping state, their strength decreasing for want of
food, and even when awake their minds wandering in a strange fashion,
from which they were only aroused when Jerry or Sam spoke to them.
Their case was becoming, they could not help feeling, serious indeed,
and they were conscious that, should relief not arrive, they must, ere
many hours were passed over their heads, succumb to hunger and thirst.
The night seemed interminable, and they could only pray that the
daylight might bring them assistance. Towards morning they were
somewhat aroused by feeling the canoe tossing about far more than she
had hitherto done, while every now and then the top of a sea washed over
her gunwale, just sufficiently to show them that they had a new danger
to apprehend. By this time, however, they felt almost indifferent to
anything that might happen. They were, at length, aroused to action.

"It won't do, sirs, to let the canoe get swamped. We must turn to and
try to get the water out of her as fast as it comes in," cried Jerry.

"Of course," answered Archie, throwing off the torpor which oppressed
him; "we'll do our best." Gerald said the same, and at once they began
baling away. They were thus employed, managing to keep the canoe pretty
clear of water, when dawn again broke.

"A sail! a sail!" cried Jerry, as he was casting his eyes round the
horizon, from which the shades of night were gradually rising; "she's
coming up before the wind, but I'm much afraid that she's one of those
slaving craft after all. Still, though her crew may be arrant
cut-throats, they can't do us much harm, seeing we're bad enough off at
present."

All the party now kept their eyes fixed on the approaching sail. On she
came, steering apparently directly for them. As she drew nearer, she
was seen to be a large dhow, and, there could be little doubt, a slaver.
She was within a mile of them, when, just in her wake, rising above the
horizon, appeared the loftier sails of a