revailing throughout. I continued to scull the boat at
intervals all through the day, but it was horribly distressing work, the
distress being aggravated by the knowledge that it was all for so small
a result, since I estimated that by the end of the day we had
accomplished little more than six miles of progress.

It was about four o'clock that afternoon when my fast-failing energies
received a fresh stimulus. I had been wearily toiling at the oar for
about an hour, facing west so that I might be guided in my course by the
pale blotch of light which represented the position of the sun, when a
cry from Julius, who was the only alert member of the party, caused me
to turn my head. I saw him pointing eagerly toward the north-eastern
quarter.

"Aren't those the masts of a ship over yonder, Mr Leigh?" the boy
asked, and looking in the direction of his pointing finger I caught
sight, as the boat lifted over a swell, of two microscopic objects which
I at once recognised as a vessel's mast-heads. They stood out fairly
clear against the gloomy background of lowering sky, and after a
prolonged scrutiny of them I came to the conclusion that they belonged
to a small schooner, some fifteen miles distant--probably one of the
craft that make a business of trading among the islands of the western
and southern Pacific.

"You are right, Julius, they are," I cried eagerly. "Do you feel equal
to handling an oar for an hour or two?"

"You bet I do," answered the lad with equal eagerness. "I am equal to
doing anything that will help us to get out of this beastly boat and on
to a ship once more."

"Right!" I exclaimed. "Come along, then, and let us see what we can
do. That craft is only about fifteen miles off, and if this calm will
last long enough we are bound to fetch her," and I hastened to adjust
the rowlocks into position for using both oars.

Meanwhile, our remarks had stirred the rest of the party from
listlessness into action--they all sat up and looked eagerly at the two
tiny pin-points on the horizon; and Mrs Vansittart, climbing down into
the cockpit, exclaimed:

"Yes, I guess that is a ship, all right, and we've got to reach her.
I'll help you, Jule; your strength and mine together ought to be equal
to Walter's, so between us we shall keep the boat going straight."

But the stewardesses, good plucky girls, would not agree to this. With
one voice they declared that they were not going to sit still and let
their