ring or privation, which seemed certainly more sunburnt than
formerly, but no thinner.

Soon they reached the vessel, and clambered up; and then with what
shouts and almost shrieks of joy they seized Tom! With what cries and
cheers of delight they welcomed him back again, by turns overwhelming
him with questions, and then pouring forth a torrent of description of
their own long search!

Captain Corbet stood a little aloof. His face was not so radiant as
the faces of the boys. His features were twitching, and his hands were
clasped tight behind his back. He stood leaning against the mainmast,
his eyes fixed on Tom. It was thus that he stood when Tom caught sight
of him, and rushed up to shake hands.

Captain Corbet grasped Tom's hand in both of his. He trembled, and Tom
felt that his hands were cold and clammy.

"My dear boys," he faltered, "let us rejice--and--be glad--for this my
son--that was dead--is alive agin--"

A shudder passed through him, and he stopped, and pressed Tom's hand
convulsively.

Then he gave a great gasp, and, "Thar, thar," he murmured, "it's too
much! I'm onmanned. I've suffered--an agonized--an this--air--too
much!"

And with these words he burst into tears.

Then he dropped Tom's hand, and retreated into the cabin, where he
remained for a long time, but at last reappeared, restored to calmness,
and with a smile of sweet and inexpressible peace wreathing his
venerable countenance.

By this time the boys had told Tom all about their long search; and
when Captain Corbet reappeared, Tom had completed the story of his
adventures, and had just reached that part, in his wanderings, where he
had left the island, and found himself drifting down the bay. As that
was the point at which Tom was last lost sight of in these pages, his
story may be given here in his own words.

"Yes," said he, "you see I found myself drifting down. There was no
help for it. The wind was slight, and the tide was strong. I was
swept down into a fog bank, and lost sight of Ile Haute altogether.
Well, it didn't matter very much, and I wasn't a bit anxious. I knew
that the tide would turn soon, and then I'd come up, and fetch the land
somewhere; so I waited patiently. At last, after about--well, nearly
an hour, the tide must have turned, and I drifted back, and there was
wind enough to give me quite a lift; and so all of a sudden I shot out
of the fog, and saw Ile Haute before me. I was coming in such a