th the cetacean had occurred about
eleven o'clock in the evening before. I reckoned then we should have
eight hours to swim before sunrise, an operation quite practicable if
we relieved each other. The sea, very calm, was in our favour.
Sometimes I tried to pierce the intense darkness that was only
dispelled by the phosphorescence caused by our movements. I watched
the luminous waves that broke over my hand, whose mirror-like surface
was spotted with silvery rings. One might have said that we were in a
bath of quicksilver.

Near one o'clock in the morning, I was seized with dreadful fatigue.
My limbs stiffened under the strain of violent cramp. Conseil was
obliged to keep me up, and our preservation devolved on him alone. I
heard the poor boy pant; his breathing became short and hurried. I
found that he could not keep up much longer.

"Leave me! leave me!" I said to him.

"Leave my master? Never!" replied he. "I would drown first."

Just then the moon appeared through the fringes of a thick cloud that
the wind was driving to the east. The surface of the sea glittered
with its rays. This kindly light reanimated us. My head got better
again. I looked at all points of the horizon. I saw the frigate! She
was five miles from us, and looked like a dark mass, hardly
discernible. But no boats!

I would have cried out. But what good would it have been at such a
distance! My swollen lips could utter no sounds. Conseil could
articulate some words, and I heard him repeat at intervals, "Help!
help!"

Our movements were suspended for an instant; we listened. It might be
only a singing in the ear, but it seemed to me as if a cry answered the
cry from Conseil.

"Did you hear?" I murmured.

"Yes! Yes!"

And Conseil gave one more despairing cry.

This time there was no mistake! A human voice responded to ours! Was
it the voice of another unfortunate creature, abandoned in the middle
of the ocean, some other victim of the shock sustained by the vessel?
Or rather was it a boat from the frigate, that was hailing us in the
darkness?

Conseil made a last effort, and, leaning on my shoulder, while I struck
out in a desperate effort, he raised himself half out of the water,
then fell back exhausted.

"What did you see?"

"I saw----" murmured he; "I saw--but do not talk--reserve all your
strength!"

What had he seen? Then, I know not why, the thought of the monster
came into my head for the first ti