mined not again to fall asleep, if I could
avoid it, until daylight. I believe, however, that I frequently dropped
off, but I was preserved. When morning dawned, I discovered that the
man who had, as I believed, intended to kill me was utterly unable to
move. The other fellow, however, seemed to be the strongest of the
party. He got up, and stretching out his arms, exclaimed, addressing
his countrymen--

"`Food we must have this day at every coast, or we shall perish.'

"I also rose, and found, to my surprise, that I could stand on my feet.

"`I pray God that we may have food, and that some friendly vessel may
bring it,' I exclaimed.

"As I spoke I looked round the horizon, when I need not tell you how
grateful I felt to Heaven at seeing a sail standing, as I judged,
directly towards us. I pointed her out to my companions; but as they
were sitting down, they could not for some time make her out. I, too,
could no longer support myself, and once more sank on the raft. In a
short time, however, we could all distinguish her. The Frenchmen began
to weep. Now they expressed their fears that she would pass us; now
they tried to shout for joy at the thoughts of being saved. I at times
also dreaded lest we should not be observed, but all my doubts vanished
when I made you out to be an English sloop-of-war, and saw you haul up
towards us."

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

A SHIPWRECK.

The _Lily_ had been continuing her cruise in the Caribbean Sea for some
days without falling in with the _Ariel_, or any other English
ship-of-war, nor had she taken a prize. Oliver Crofton had completely
recovered. As one of the midshipmen was ill, he took his duty. Our
hero and Oliver soon became fast friends, and they were well able to
appreciate each other's good qualities.

Commander Saltwell, not looking upon the Frenchmen he had picked up in
the light of prisoners, wished to put them on shore as soon as possible.
He resolved, therefore, to stand in towards the coast of San Domingo,
the western portion of which island belonged to France, and to land them
at some settlement where they could obtain assistance.

The _Lily_ was still off the east end of the island, belonging to Spain,
when a schooner was sighted running along the shore, apparently
endeavouring to escape observation. The wind, however, headed her, and
she was compelled to tack off the land.

"She's French, to a certainty, or she would have run in and brought up