that he was not mindful of the flight of time, and now the
day was done, and the evening was upon him before he was aware. But
there were other things still for him to do before he could rest from
his labors. His fire was just flickering around its last embers, and
if he wished to have a pleasant light to cheer the solitude and the
darkness of his evening hours, it would be necessary to prepare a
supply of fuel. To this he attended at once, and brought up several
armfuls of drift-wood from the beach. Placing these near the fire, he
kindled it up afresh, and flung upon the rising flames a generous
supply of fuel. The fires caught at it, and crackled as they spread
through the dry wood, and tossed up their forked tongues on high, till
in the dusk of evening they illuminated the surrounding scene with a
pleasant light. A few more armfuls were added, and then the work for
the day was over. That work had been very extensive and very
important. It had secured a means of communication with the outer
world, and had also formed a shelter from the chill night air, the fog,
and the storm. It was with a very natural pride that Tom cast his eyes
around, and surveyed the results of his ingenuity and his industry.

The camp opened towards the fire, from which it was not so far distant
but that Tom could attend to it without any very great inconvenience.
The fire shone pleasantly before him as he sat down at his evening
repast. As the darkness increased, it threw a ruddier glow upon all
the scene around, lighting up field and hill, and sending long streams
of radiance into the fog that overhung the sea. Tom had prepared an
unusually large supply of fuel, this evening, for the express purpose
of burning it all up; partly for his own amusement, and partly in the
hope that it might meet the eyes of some passing navigator. It was his
only hope. To keep his signals going by night and day was the surest
plan of effecting a speedy escape. Who could tell what might be out on
the neighboring sea? How did he know but that the Antelope might be
somewhere near at hand, with his companions on board, cruising
anxiously about in search after the missing boat? He never ceased to
think that they were following after him somewhere, and to believe
that, in the course of their wanderings, they might come somewhere
within sight of him. He knew that they would never give him up till
they assuredly knew his fate, but would follow after him,