and contrary to expectation
increased, at the same time hauling gradually round from the north-east,
to the great joy of the Captain and Bascomb, who at eight o'clock in the
morning shaped a course for the Azores, where it was intended to wood
and water the ship, and lay in a goodly stock of fruit and vegetables to
stave off the scurvy among the crew for as long a time as might be.

The weather continued fine and the wind fair for four days, during which
the ship, with squared yards, made excellent progress; then came a
strong breeze from the westward which drove them nearly a hundred miles
out of their course. This, in its turn, was followed by light winds and
fair weather, with a sun so hot that the pitch began to melt and bubble
out of the deck seams, so that the mariners, who had hitherto been going
about their duty barefoot, were fain to don shoes to save their feet
from being blistered. Finally, after a voyage of twenty-four days, they
came to the Azores, where they remained four days, filling up their
fresh water, replenishing their stock of wood, and taking in a bounteous
supply of vegetables and fruit, especially "limmons"--as Marshall called
them--for the prevention of scurvy.

Then, greatly refreshed by their short sojourn, and by the entire change
of diet which they enjoyed during their stay, they again set sail, and,
making their way to the southward and westward, at length fell in with
that beneficent wind which blows permanently from the north-east, and
which in after-years came to be known as the Trade Wind. With this
blowing steadily behind them day after day, they squared away for the
island of Barbados, where, if there happened to be no Spaniards to
interfere with them, it was Marshall's intention to lay up for a while,
to give his men time to recruit their health, and also to careen the
ship and clear her of weed before beginning his great foray along the
Spanish Main.

And in due time--on the fiftieth day from that on which Dick and Phil
were rescued from the sinking boat, to be precise--with the rising of
the sun a faint blue blur, wedge-shaped, with the sharp edge pointing
toward the south, appeared upon the horizon, straight ahead, and the
joyous shout of "Land ho!" burst from the lips of the man stationed as
lookout upon the lofty forecastle. Yes; there it was; land,
unmistakably, sharp and clear-cut, with a slate-blue cloud--the only
cloud in the sky--hovering over it, from the breast of