ft!" cried Blount, with almost a shriek of despair.
Another huge wave followed, and the whole centre of the junk seemed to
be under water.

"She is sinking!--she is sinking!" burst from the lips of all; "Heaven
have mercy on us!"

I clasped Eva in my arms, and fully expected that our last moment had
arrived.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

At the very moment that I had given up all hope of preservation, as if
to confirm our worst anticipations, a huge wave came rolling up
alongside. The junk rushed onward--a tremendous blow was felt--again
she lifted, and was dashed forward--the rudder was knocked away, and the
jury-mast fell overboard. Instantly the junk broached to. On a sudden,
almost as rapidly as I take to tell it, the violent motion ceased, and a
grating sound was heard, as if she had run upon a sandy beach. The seas
struck her, but their force was evidently broken by some reef outside,
though it continued too dark to enable us to discover where we were.
The junk held together; and as the cabin on the poop for the present
seemed a place of safety, we agreed to remain there till the return of
day. The light at length came; and as I looked out from the cabin door,
I found that we were in a small bay, with a sandy shore, and rich
tropical vegetation beyond it, while what was my surprise to see
directly outside of us, fast stuck on a reef of rocks, another vessel
severely shattered by the waves!

My exclamation of surprise called the rest of the party from the cabins.
No sooner did Eva see the vessel, than, pressing my arm, she observed,
with a voice full of agitation:

"That vessel, Mark, is the _Emu_! I am certain of it; and if the
dreadful men who form the crew are here, it were better that the sea had
engulfed us."

I could say nothing, for I could not help entering into her fears. It
was high water when we were driven on shore; and as the tide had now
fallen, we found that we could without difficulty lower ourselves on to
the sand. In case the pirates should be wandering about the island,
(for we concluded we had been driven on one), Blount offered to go and
explore, and to try to enter into terms with them, while Hassan and
Kalong remained with me to guard Eva. In about an hour he returned, and
reported that he had seen no human beings.

"The pirates can no longer do us or any one else harm," he remarked.
"As I wandered along the shore, I found the remains of several men
washed up on the beach, a