w
life seemed put into us, and the dry morsels of biscuit and ham, which
we before could not swallow, were eaten with a relish. This deliverance
from immediate death gave us hope; but still we might have again to
encounter all the difficulties we had before gone through, before
reaching land. Could we possibly survive them? I had often read of
similar adventures and sufferings, and had been so much interested and
amused, that I had felt considerably obliged to those who had gone
through them, and really felt that I should like to have been with them;
but I found the reality very different indeed. The terrible reality was
presented to me with the gilding off--the romance vanished. My great
wish was to escape from my present position. I have no doubt that all
my companions felt with me.

The oars were again got out, and slowly we pulled to the northward. It
was soon evident, however, that our strength was totally unequal to the
task. One after the other the oars dropped from the men's feeble grasp.
It was terrible to see strong men thus reduced to weakness. The calm
continued. Even I began to despair. A dizziness came over me. I was
nearly sinking to the bottom of the boat, but I resisted the impulse by
a strong effort. "I'll not give in while life and sense remain." I
fancied that I felt a puff of air on my cheek. I wetted my finger, and
held it up. There was no doubt about it. A breeze was coming from the
southward. I stood up as well as I was able, and looked astern for the
expected blue line in the horizon. My heart leaped within me when my
eye fell on the white sails of a vessel coming fast up with us. I
shouted out the joyous news. My companions lifted up their heads, some
scarcely understanding what I said. McAllister, who had been asleep,
started up, and, with his hand over his eyes, gazed anxiously at the
stranger. Bambrick, with a strength which surprised me, leaped up on
the thwart, holding on by the mast, and, after looking for some time, he
exclaimed, "She's the Espoir, as sure as my name is Ned Bambrick."

"The Espoir went down in the hurricane, and this craft is only some
phantom come to delude and mock us," muttered McAllister, gloomily.

"Nonsense! you don't believe in such stuff," I exclaimed. "If yonder
craft is the Espoir, it's plain the Espoir did not go down in the
hurricane; and if the Espoir did go down in the hurricane, it is equally
plain that the vessel in sight is not