at and leave us!"

"We mustn't accuse them wrongfully," said David, who, of course, was
more versed in nautical matters. "Ships when far at sea don't keep much
of a look-out, as they would have to do in the channel or near land.
And, besides, old fellow, you must recollect that although we can see
her plainly, we to those on board would appear but the tiniest speck in
the distance, if we were seen at all, and would be taken for a wandering
albatross, or one of those Molly hawks like that we caught this morning.
They don't see us, evidently, or they would take in sail."

Jonathan, however, would not give up hope, but continued to wave his
shirt--which he had taken off for the purpose--in the bow of the boat,
until she lessened as she drew away, and finally, disappeared below the
horizon as night came on with hasty footsteps--as it always does in
southern latitudes--shutting out everything from their gaze.

The two boys were bitterly disappointed.

Up to the time of their sighting the ship they had been almost contented
with their lot, for the fear of starvation, which had threatened them,
had passed away when their hunger had been appeased by the cape pigeon
that David had captured, and they subsequently secured another bird,
besides the half-dozen fish or so that had been brought within their
reach by the waterspout; to add to which the weather had not been hot
enough to cause them to make such inroads on their stock of water--which
David had judiciously apportioned from the first--as to arouse any dread
of thirst, which is far worse than want of food to shipwrecked mariners.

It was the fact of the means of escape from their perilous position
having been so unexpectedly brought near them, and as suddenly taken
away, that deprived them of their courage and hopefulness for a time,
and made them forget the Eye that was watching over them, and the hand
that had already so miraculously helped them when they seemed to be at
death's door! The weather, however, did not allow them to give way to
despondency, much as they might have been inclined, for, as night came
on, the darker it grew, the wind and sea increasing so that David had an
onerous task to steer the boat in such a manner as to prevent her being
swamped; while Jonathan was as continually busy in baling out the heavy
seas that, partly, lurched in over the gunwale, first on the port side
and then to starboard, as the cutter rocked to and fro in her course,
teari