s not a dream. He is
wide awake enough now, and his mind is busy with a thousand tumultuous
thoughts, for, as he watches, clear and unmistakable glide the upper
sails of a large ship across the face of the sinking planet. She is
steering south, but whether easterly or westerly it is impossible to say
as she stands out black and silhouette-like against her golden
background; but one thing is plain--she is moving very slowly. The
skipper darts to the compass--one of a pair saved from the wreck of the
_Mermaid_--and striking a match, which he carefully shelters from the
wind in the crown of his cap, he manages to take her bearing before she
vanishes from his sight. He next completes the setting of his sail,
hauls aft the sheet, and, jamming the raft close upon a wind, asks
himself what is the best thing to do.

To return to the island will consume an hour of most precious time; and
when there what could he do to attract the stranger's attention?
Nothing more than light a huge bonfire; and the only spot suitable for
this is the western side of the mountain, to reach which will consume at
least another hour. Then there would be wood to collect, occupying say
another half-hour, making a total of at least two hours and a half
before such a signal could be rendered visible. And perhaps, after all,
those on board the ship might not see it, or, seeing it, might not
understand its meaning--might suppose it to be nothing more than a fire
built by the natives, and so pass on their way. No; that would not do--
the risk of failure would be too great. What then? There remained
nothing, in Captain Blyth's opinion, but to pursue the stranger. She
could not, he thought, be going more than five knots, judging by the
strength of the breeze and the momentary glimpse he had obtained of her;
whilst the raft, light as she was and with the wind well over her
quarter, would go nearly or quite seven. The strange sail was about
twelve miles off; therefore, if he could overhaul her at the rate of
about two knots per hour, he ought to be near enough to attract her
attention by sunrise. But he must bear up in chase at once, there was
no time to waste in running ashore to make known his intentions; and as
for help, he wanted none, he was quite capable of managing the raft
single-handed. Moreover, he began to suspect that Henderson would prove
to be right in that suggestion of his respecting a change of weather,
which made it all the more i