atting his little dog gently on the head.

"Cuffy, you and me's in a fix, I suspect," he murmured in a low tone;
"but cheer up, doggie, a way to escape will turn up no doubt."

He had scarcely uttered the words when his eye fell on the distant
outline of land on the lee bow. He started, and gazed with fixed
intensity for some minutes, under the impression that it might perhaps
be a fog-bank lighted by the moon, but in a short time it became so
distinct that there could be no doubt it was land. He pointed it out to
the watch on deck, one of whom said carelessly that he had seen it for
some time, and that there were plenty more islands of the same sort in
these seas.

Jarwin walked aft and stood near the lee gangway contemplating the
island in silence for some time. A small oar lay at his feet. Suddenly
he conceived the daring idea of seizing this, plunging overboard and
attempting to swim to land. He was a splendid swimmer, and although the
island appeared to be more than two miles distant, he did not fear
failure. A moment's reflection, however, convinced him that the men on
deck would certainly hear the plunge, heave the ship to, and lower a
boat, in which case he should be immediately overtaken. Still, being
resolved to escape at all hazards, he determined to make the venture.
Fastening a rope to a belaying pin, he tied the oar to it and lowered it
over the side until it trailed in the water, he then lifted Cuffy, who
was almost always near him, on to the side of the vessel, with a whisper
to keep still. The watch paced the weather side of the deck conversing
in low tones. The steersman could, from his position, see both
gangways, and although the light was not strong enough to reveal what
Jarwin was about, it was too strong to admit of his going bodily over
the side without being observed. He, therefore, walked slowly to the
head of the vessel, where he threw over the end of a small rope. By
means of this, when the watch were well aft, he slid noiselessly into
the sea, hanging on by one hand and supporting Cuffy with the other.
Once fairly in the water he let go, the side of the vessel rubbed
swiftly past him, and he all but missed grasping the oar which trailed
at the gangway. By this he held on for a few seconds to untie the rope.
He had just succeeded and was about to let go, when, unfortunately, the
handle of the oar chanced to hit the end of Cuffy's nose a severe blow.
The poor dog, therefore, gave