n covered; but as the rain
still came down, the taste was fresher every moment, and soon got most
delicious. I seemed to recover strength as I licked my dripping breast
and shoulders; and though evening changed to dark night, and the rain was
followed by a strong wind, which got more and more fierce, and appeared
to drive me and my friendly log over the waves as if we had been bits of
straw, I felt no fear, but clung to the timber, and actually gave way to
hope.

I must have slept again, for daylight was once more in the sky when I
unclosed my eyes. Where was I now? My sight was dim, and though I could
see there was no longer darkness, I could make out nothing else. Was I
still on the rolling water? Surely not; for I felt no motion. I passed my
paw quickly across my eyes to brush away the mist which covered them. I
roused myself. The beam of wood was still beneath me, but my legs surely
touched the ground! My sight came back to me, and showed me, true, the
sea stretching on, on, on, in the distance, but showed me also that
_I_--oh, joy!--_I_ had reached the shore!

When my mind was able to believe the truth, I sprang on to the solid land
with a cry which rings in my ears even now. What though my weakness was
so great that I tumbled over on to the beach and filled my mouth with
sand? I could have licked every blade of grass, every stone, in my
ecstacy; and when forced to lie down from inability to stand upon my
legs, I drove my paws into the earth, and held up portions to my face, to
convince myself that I was indeed on shore. I did not trouble myself much
with questions as to how I got there. I did not puzzle my brain to
inquire whether the wind which had risen the evening before, and which I
felt driving me on so freely, had at length chased me to the land. All I
seemed to value was the fact that I was indeed _there_; and all I could
persuade myself to say or think was the single, blessed word, SAVED!

I must have lain some time upon the sand before I tried again to move,
for when I scrambled on to my legs the sun was high and hot--so hot, that
it had completely dried my coat, and made me wish for shelter. Dragging
myself with some trouble to a mound of earth, green and sparkling with
grass and flowers, I managed to get on top of it; and when I had
recovered from the effort, for I was very weak, looked about me with
curiosity to observe the place where I had been thrown.

The ground was level close to where I stood,