m had to struggle with his despair--a despair, too, that was all
the more profound from the hopes that he had been entertaining. He
found, at length, in addition to this, that the tide was rising, that
it was advancing towards his resting-place, and that it would, no
doubt, overflow it all before long. It had been half tide when he
landed, and but a little was uncovered; at full tide he saw that it
would all be covered up by the water,--sea weed, rocks, and all,--and
concealed from human eye.

In the midst of these painful discoveries there suddenly occurred to
him the true name and nature of this place.

Quaco Ledge!

That was the place which Captain Corbet had described. He recalled now
the full description. Here it lay before him; upon it he stood; and he
found that it corresponded in every respect with the description that
the captain had given. If this were indeed so, and the description
were true,--and he could not doubt this,--how desperate his situation
was, and how he had been deceived in his false hopes! Far, far away
was he from any shore!--in the middle of the bay; on a place avoided by
all--a place which he should shun above all other places if he hoped
for final escape!

And now he was as eager to quit this ill-omened place as he had once
been to reach it. The tide was yet low. He tried to push the boat
down, but could not. He saw that he would have to wait. So he got
inside the boat, and, sitting down, he waited patiently. The time
passed slowly, and Tom looked despairingly out over the water.
Something attracted his attention. It was a long pole, which had
struck against the edge of the shoal. He got out of the boat, and,
securing it, he walked back again. It was some waif that had been
drifting about till it was thus cast at his feet. He thought of taking
it for a mast, and making use of the sail. The idea was an attractive
one. He pulled the sail out, unfolded it, and found it to be the jib
of some schooner. He cut off one end of this, and then with his knife
began to make a hole in the seat for his mast. It was very slow work,
but he succeeded at last in doing it, and inserted the pole. Then he
fastened the sail to it. He was rather ignorant of navigation, but he
had a general idea of the science, and thought he would learn by
experience. By cutting off the rope from the edge of the sail he
obtained a sheet, and taking off the cover of the biscuit box a second
time, he put th