of water
left, and provisions scarcely sufficient for a couple of days.

"I have come away without fish-hooks," he observed. "If I had had them,
gentlemen, I might have given you cod for dinner; and I promise you I'll
never be without them again, when I make this voyage."

"Then I only hope, captain, that you'll take us up again if we happen to
have our ship sinking under us," I said, at which there was a general
laugh.

As we had nothing else to do, all hands employed themselves in whistling
for a breeze. Just before the sun again rose, a cheering shout was
heard from the masthead--

"Land! land!"

In a short time the rocky coast of Newfoundland rose on the larboard
bow, and we stood along to the northward for Saint John's harbour, on
the east coast. Before evening we were passing through the Narrows, a
passage leading to the harbour, with perpendicular precipices rising to
a considerable height on either side. Passing under Fort Amhurst, a
voice came off hailing--

"Where are you from? What length of passage?"

The answer announcing, "We have on board the officers and crew of H.M.S.
_Hector_," evidently caused considerable excitement, and signals were
made to a post on the top of a lofty hill on the right side, whence the
information was conveyed to the town.

Before we dropped our anchor, the last cask of water was emptied, the
last particle of food consumed.

The moment we brought up, the vessel was surrounded by boats, the news
of our arrival having preceded us. Before landing, all the officers
again expressed their thanks to our gallant preserver, who, I hope,
received the reward he so well merited, from our Government, we
ourselves being unable to offer him any. None of us, indeed, had more
than the clothes we wore, and a few articles we had been able to carry
off with us from the wreck.

We were received with the greatest kindness and hospitality by the
inhabitants of Saint John's. Nettleship, Tom, and I were lodged
together in the house of a merchant, whose wife and daughters, pitying
our condition, did everything they could to restore us to health.
Certainly we were very unlike the gay midshipmen we appeared when we
sailed from Jamaica. Both the young ladies were very nice girls; but
Tom confided to me that his heart had become hard as adamant since
Lucy's cruel treatment of him.

"It will soften by and by, Tom," I answered, laughing, though I could
not say that I felt mine inclined to