ect in
which they were all agreed, that the emancipation of the negroes would
ruin them, and all persons concerned. It was a doubtful matter whether
negroes had souls, and that to attempt to educate them was a work of the
greatest folly. In this matter Captain Rymer did not agree with them,
and the discussion of the subject afforded them abundant supply of
conversation at all times.

The night passed quietly away. As soon as it was dawn, Captain Rymer
urged Captain Williams to return at once to the wreck, and bring on
shore a further supply of provisions and water.

"We cannot tell what may occur," he observed. "The hurricane season is
not yet over, and should another hurricane come on, and the vessel go to
pieces, we might be starved, and die for want of water."

The wisdom of this advice was so evident, that the raft was immediately
despatched, under the captain's charge, to bring off the cargo. In a
short time it returned, and a message was delivered from the captain,
that he thought it would be wiser to build another raft, in order more
rapidly to get the stores on shore. This work occupied the men the
whole of the day. Jacques alone remained on shore to cook the
provisions, with the help of Pierre, while David and Harry begged that
they might be allowed to go off to the wreck, where they thought that
they could make themselves useful.

"I vote that we make a small raft for ourselves," said Harry; "and I
think that we can paddle her backwards and forwards several times, while
the big raft is only making one voyage."

With the experience they had already attained, they soon carried their
plan into execution, and in a short time conveyed a considerable
quantity of the stores on shore. During their last trip, however, Harry
observed close alongside the raft a black fin, and a wicked pair of eyes
glancing up at him.

"There's a brute of a shark," he exclaimed; "he thinks he's going to get
a meal off one of us, I suspect."

Still they kept paddling on, and the shark did not attempt to come
nearer them. They were not sorry, however, when they reached the shore,
and Captain Rymer told them that he considered they had done enough for
the day. It must be owned it was far pleasanter to sit near Mary, and
listen to the account of all their friends at home. She did not tell
them how completely they had been given up, for she knew it would make
Harry especially melancholy to think of the sorrow his supposed lo