ng some of the boats approaching from the direction of the ship;
but no object was visible on the wild waste of waters, the raft
appearing to float in the midst of a vast circle bounded by the concave
sky, without a break on either side.

Alice felt very tired and sleepy, for she had not closed her eyes all
the night; and Nub himself began to get excessively hungry. This
reminded him of the provisions he had stowed away in the hen-coop, and
he bethought him that Alice would also want some breakfast. He could
now venture to leave the helm; and going to the hen-coop, he got out
some biscuits and the wine and water.

"Here, Missie Alice," he said; "will you take some breakfast? It will
do you good and raise your spirits. When people hungry dey always
melancholy."

"But I am not melancholy, Nub, though I cannot say that I am merry; and
I am not especially hungry, but if you think I ought to eat I will do
so."

"Yes, yes; you will get ill if you don't eat," said Nub, offering the
biscuits, and pouring out a little wine and water into a cup, which he
had slipped into his pocket as he left the cabin.

Alice thanked him, and was going to eat. "Stop!" she murmured. "I have
not said my prayers this morning, and I was going to begin breakfast
without saying grace."

"Oh, Missie Alice, you are an angel," exclaimed Nub.

"I forgot all about saying my prayers, and I am sure an angel would not
have done that," she answered. "Oh, how ungrateful I was; but it is not
too late." Before she would touch anything, she knelt down and offered
up her short morning prayer, adding a petition that she and Nub, and all
others she loved or was interested in, might be preserved from the
dangers which surrounded them. Rising from her knees, she then
reverently said grace, and ate some of the biscuit with a better
appetite than she had supposed she possessed. Nub took a very small
portion, and merely wetted his lips with the wine and water to quench
the thirst he was already beginning to feel. He gave Alice, indeed, but
a small allowance, wishing to make it last as long as possible, as he
knew that they might have to remain on the raft for a long time. Again
and again he looked round to see if anyone was coming to their rescue;
but no object being in sight, he sank down, intending to watch over
Alice, who, overcome with weariness, at length fell asleep. Though he
himself wished to keep awake, before long his eyelids closed, the slo