uld have been little if any better
than it was out there on the open ocean, drifting about upon our tiny
raft.

When night fell we had had sufficient time to fully realise the peril
and hopelessness of our position; and I think most of us fully made up
our minds that we were destined to a lingering death from starvation,
unless, indeed, the end should happen to be precipitated by the
springing up of another gale or some equally fell disaster.

But our gloomy anticipations were destined to be speedily and pleasantly
dissipated, for at dawn on the following morning we were agreeably
surprised by the sight of a sail in the northern quarter--the craft
evidently heading directly for us. The wind was blowing from the
westward at the time, a five-knot breeze; the weather was clear and the
sea had gone down, leaving nothing but the swell from the blow of the
preceding day. We accordingly set to work and unhesitatingly cut adrift
one of the smaller spars of which our raft was constructed, and, hastily
securing the crazy fabric afresh, reared the spar on end, with my
shirt--the only white one among us--lashed to its upper extremity as a
signal.

The hour which followed was one of most agonising suspense. Would she
or would she not alter her course before observing our signal? The
helmsman was not steering quite as steadily as he might have done, and
our hearts went into our mouths and a cry of anguish involuntarily
escaped our lips every time the stranger showed a tendency to luff to
windward or fall off to leeward of her course. At length, however, our
apprehensions were set at rest; for just as her hull was rising above
our limited horizon we saw a sudden flash from her side, followed by a
puff of white smoke, and a few seconds later the sharp ringing report of
a gun came wafted down to us. Then her topgallant-sails and royals
fluttered a moment in the cool morning breeze as they were rapidly
sheeted-home and mast-headed; and half an hour later the _Virginia_--
yes, there could be no doubt about it, it was our latest prize; and
there, abaft the main rigging, stood the well-known figure of Smellie
himself--the _Virginia_ hove-to close to windward of us, a boat was
lowered, and we soon found ourselves standing safe and sound on the
brig's deck, the cynosure of all eyes and the somewhat bewildered
recipients of our former comrades' eager questions.

As for Smellie, with the considerate kindness which was always one of
h