of it."

We set off at noon, and went straight to the west part of the coast,
where we thought the sound must have come from. We knew a cape there
from which we could get a good view of the sea, and by the side of which
lay a small bay.

When we got round the cape, great was our joy to find a fine ship in
the bay. It was not far off from us, for we could see the ENG-LISH flag
float in the breeze from one of its masts. I seek in vain to find words
by means of which I can set forth in print what I then felt. Both Fritz
and I fell on our knees and gave thanks to God that He had thus led the
ship to our coast. If I had not held him back, Fritz would have gone
into the sea with a leap and swum off to the ship.

"Stay," said I, "till we are quite sure what they are. There are bad men
on the seas who put up false flags to lure ships out of their course,
and then rob and kill the crew."

We could now see all that took place on board. Two tents had been set
up on the shore, in front of which was a fire; and we could see that
men went to and fro with planks. There were two men left on guard on
the deck of the ship, and to these we made signs. When they saw us they
spoke to some one who stood near, and whom we thought had charge of the
ship. He then put his glass up to his eye and took a good view of us
through it.

We did not at first like to go too near, but kept our boat some way off.
Fritz said he could see that the faces of the men were not so dark as
our own.

"If that be the case," said I, "we are safe, and we may trust their
flag."

We both sang a Swiss song, and then I cried out at the top of my voice
these words: "Ship ahoy! good men!" But they made no sign that they
heard us. Our song, our boat, and, more than all, our dress, made them
no doubt guess that we were wild men of the wood; for at last one of
the crew on board held up knives and glass beads, which I knew the wild
tribes of the New World were fond of. This made us laugh, but we would
not as yet draw nigh to the ship, as we thought we ought to meet our new
friends in our best trim.

We then gave a shout and a wave of the hand, and shot off round the cape
as fast as our boat would take us. We soon got back to Rock House, where
our dear ones were on the look-out for us. My wife said we had done
quite right to come back, but Jane thought we should have found out who
they were.

That night none of us slept well; our guest thought there might now be
a