ears up bravely enough, but I don't at all like
the bright look in his eyes which has been there for the last few hours.
We must have travelled now more than half way across the Bay of Bengal
with such a driving wind as this behind us. It's certainly lucky for us
that our valuables were not on board the other boat, for we shall never
see that again, nor its cowardly occupants. The horses, our tent, and
some of our weapons are, of course, gone altogether, but we shall be
able to shift for ourselves well enough if once we are so lucky as to
reach land again."

[Illustration: "HELPLESSLY DRIFTING."]

"I can't see of what use any weapons are just at present," I responded,
"nor, for the matter of that, the gems which we have hidden about our
persons. For the whole five days during which we have been driven on by
this fierce, howling wind I have not seen a living thing except
ourselves--not even a bird of the smallest size."

"Because they know more about these storms than we do, and make for the
land accordingly," said Denviers; then glancing again at the Arab, he
continued:--

"We must watch Hassan very closely, and if he shows signs of being at
all likely to lose his self-control, we shall have to tie him down. We
owe a great deal to him in this present difficulty, because it was
entirely through his advice that we brought any provisions with us at
all."

"That is true enough," I replied; "but how were we to know that a
journey which we expected would occupy less than six hours was to end in
our being cast adrift at the mercy of wind and wave in such a mere
cockle-shell as this boat is, and so driven sheer across this waste of
waters?"

"Well, Harold," said Denviers, quietly, "we must stick to our original
plan of resting turn and turn about if we wish to keep ourselves alive
as long as possible. I will continue my watch from the prow, and
meantime you had better endeavour to obtain some rest; at all events we
won't give in just yet." He turned his head away from me as he spoke and
narrowly surveyed the scene around us, magnificent as it was,
notwithstanding its solitude and the perils which darkly threatened us.

Leaving the hut of the Cingalese after our adventure with the Dhahs in
the forest of Ceylon, we had made our way to Trincomalee, where we had
embarked upon a small sailing boat, similar in size and shape to those
which may be constantly seen on the other side of the island, and which
are used by the pear