denly
sprang to their feet, and with a despairing yell plunged over the side
of the raft into the sea before we were aware of or could arrest their
terrible intention. There was a frightful splashing in the water
astern, as the sea-monsters fought over their prey; then all was quiet
again. _Two of the sharks had disappeared_.

My companions regarded this terrible tragedy almost with indifference,
and the doctor, in a weak and cracked voice which was scarcely audible,
muttered something to the effect that "those _two_ were happily out of
their suffering." Before sunset the poor fellow had followed them, and
_another shark had disappeared_.

Some time during the night I was awakened by Hawsepipe, whose trick at
the helm it was. He aroused me by giving me a feeble shake on the
shoulder, and, being by this time unable to speak, raised his hand and
pointed skyward. I looked up and saw that the firmament was obscured by
heavy masses of cloud, which held out the promise of a speedy fall of
thrice-blessed rain. I scrambled to my feet and hastened to arouse the
two seamen, in order that we might take immediate measures to secure as
much as possible of the priceless liquid. One of the poor fellows was
in such a weak and exhausted condition that he was unable to rise; the
other contrived to do so with the utmost difficulty, and we lowered down
the sail, mast and all, so as to form with the canvas a receptacle for
the expected blessing.

At length it came in a sudden squall of wind, with a few flashes of
lightning, and for two or three minutes it poured down almost as heavily
as it did on that night--oh! how many ages ago it seemed now--when the
"Juanita" was destroyed. We gathered round the sail and drank greedily,
recklessly, of the heaven-sent nectar; filled our hats and boots--our
only receptacles--with it, and then drank and drank again as long as a
drop remained in the sail. And oh! how we grudged the precious drops
which poured in a stream through the thin canvas!

To describe the reviving effect which this delicious draught had upon
our exhausted frames is impossible; our strength and our voices returned
to us like magic, our spirits revived, and we felt like new creatures.
We re-hoisted the mast and sail into its place with comparative ease,
and then, with one accord, knelt down and offered our sincere and heart-
felt thanks for the mercy which had been shown us in our extremity;
while the raft swept cheerily