an hour ago.

Hazel thought she must have anchored.

Helen looked at him steadily.

"Dear friend," said she, "are you sure there is a ship at all? Are you
not under a delusion? This island fills the mind with fancies. One day I
thought I saw a ship sailing in the sky. Ah!" She uttered a faint scream,
for while she was speaking the bowsprit and jib of a vessel glided past
the bluff so closely they seemed to scrape it, and a ship emerged
grandly, and glided along the cliff.

"Are they mad," cried Hazel, "to hug the shore like that? Ah! they have
seen my warning."

And it appeared so, for the ship just then came up in the wind several
points, and left the bluff dead astern.

She sailed a little way on that course, and then paid off again, and
seemed inclined to range along the coast. But presently she was up in the
wind again, and made a greater offing. She was sailed in a strange,
vacillating way; but Hazel ascribed this to her people's fear of the
reefs he had indicated to all comers. The better to watch her maneuvers,
and signal her if necessary, they both went up to Telegraph Point. They
could not go out to her, being low water. Seen from this height, the
working of this vessel was unaccountable. She was to and off the wind as
often as if she was drunk herself, or commanded by a drunken skipper.
However, she was kept well clear of the home reefs, and made a good
offing, and so at last she opened the bay heading N. W., and distant four
miles, or thereabouts. Now was the time to drop her anchor. So Hazel
worked the telegraph to draw her attention, and waved his hat and hand to
her. But the ship sailed on. She yawed immensely, but she kept her
course; and, when she had gone a mile or two more, the sickening truth
forced itself at last upon those eager watchers. She had decided not to
touch at the island. In vain their joyful signals. In vain the telegraph.
In vain that cry for help upon the eastern cliff; it had saved her, but
not pleaded for them. The monsters saw them on the height--their hope,
their joy--saw and abandoned them.

They looked at one another with dilating eyes, to read in a human face
whether such a deed as this could really be done by man upon his fellow.
They uttered wild cries to the receding vessel.

Vain, vain, all was in vain.

Then they sat down stupefied, but still glaring at the ship, and each at
the same moment held out a hand to the other, and they sat hand in hand;
all the world to