his work, I agreed to go down to the beach to look for
some shell-fish or crabs as a variety to our food. No sooner did I
reach it than my eye caught sight of a white sail shining in the morning
sun. I rubbed my eyes. I could not be mistaken. No; there was a
European vessel, I was sure of it, with a single mast. Could she be the
cutter which my friends had proposed building? Were they on their
homeward voyage, or were they coming to look for me? Perhaps, after
all, the island where I now was might be at no great distance from
theirs. Perhaps they were sailing away, having given me up in despair.
I could not move from the spot, but kept gazing and gazing at the sail
to ascertain whether it was approaching. Yes, yes; I was sure it was.
On it came. The breeze freshening, the seas rolled in on the beach.
Nearer and nearer drew the cutter. I ran down to the water, and waved
my hands and shouted. They could not have heard me, but yet they came
in directly towards where I was standing. Presently I saw the sails
brailed up, and now a boat, with several people in her, put off from the
vessel. They approached. Mr Hooker was in the stern. The boat's head
was turned round, so as to allow her to drop in through the surf. I
rushed in towards her, and burst into tears as I shook my kind friend's
hand, and helped him to spring on shore.

"My dear boy, you are safe! We had given up almost all hope of finding
you, when we picked up your boat!" he exclaimed.

Great was my astonishment to find that the boat was my own craft which
had brought me to the island.

"Are they all well?" I asked, looking eagerly towards the vessel. "Is
Emily well, and Grace, and Oliver?"

"Yes, yes," he answered; "all are well. We left them at the island; but
there is no time to be lost. The weather looks threatening, Mr
Thudicumb says, and the sooner you are away from this the better. Step
in now. I suppose there is nothing to detain you?"

"No, but I have a friend," I answered; and told them how Macco had
escaped from the pirates.

Begging them to wait, I ran back to where I had left him at work.

"Well den," he said, "we leab de boat for some oder person to build. I
bery glad to see Potto Jumbo and my old friends."

I ran back to the boat, Macco following me. We were soon on board, and
pulling to the cutter. All sail was then made for Sedgwick Island; for
so we resolved to call it. The weather, however, got worse and worse,