We lay on the ground, watching the stars gradually disappearing in the
sky overhead, and still unwilling to awake Ben, who slumbered on,
completely overcome by the fatigue he had endured for the last few days.
At length the sun, like a huge ball of fire, rose above the region of
sand-hills stretching out to the eastward. It was time therefore for us
to get up and obtain a supply of pork from the store we had left on the
beach, as also to commence a search for water. We called to Ben; who,
starting to his feet, rubbed his eyes and looked wildly about him, as if
not quite certain where he was.

"I mind all about it now," he said, slapping his leg. "But, bless me,
how I should like to have snoozed on: for I was dreaming that I was away
back in Old England, in my sister Susan's cottage, with the youngsters
playing about in front of the porch, and Betsy Dawson--who has promised
to marry me when I next get back--just coming in at the door to have a
cup of tea and a quiet chat; and I was putting out my hand to take hers,
when I found myself clutching a heap of sand."

Poor Ben scarcely seemed to be aware that he was speaking aloud, for
when he heard our voices he cast a bewildered look at us. We did not
laugh at him, however,--that you may depend on.

"Well, well, Ben, we must be prepared for a good many trials and
disappointments; but I hope that we shall all meet them like men," said
Boxall.

"Yes, sir, that we will; and I am ready for anything that turns up,"
said Ben, giving himself a shake. "We want water and we want food, in
the first place, I suspect."

"The water, I have a notion, we can get by digging, as we did on the
sand-bank the other day; and as for food, it's hard if the sea does not
give us something to eat, besides the pork," observed Boxall.

The hot sun having quickly dried our wet clothes, we felt, as we began
to move, in somewhat better spirits. We soon reached the spot where we
had left the cask,--being guided to it by the remains of the raft on the
beach. Halliday was the most hungry, and ran on first.

"Hallo, the cask has been overturned; and what has become of the pork?"
he exclaimed, as he began hunting about in the sand. "That monster of a
hyena must have been here; and I am afraid the brute has not even left
us enough for breakfast."

We hurried on, and speedily joined in the search.

"Here is a piece, fortunately, jammed between the staves," said
Halliday, dragging forth the re