, with their
heads resting on their knees. One thing was certain--that the craft,
whatever she was, was standing towards us, bringing up a breeze; yet she
approached very slowly.

"I suspected from the first what she was," observed Boxall. "Let me
have your glass, Charlie, that I may be certain." I gave him my
telescope, which I had kept slung at my back. "As I thought: it is a
small raft--probably Ben's. Honest fellow, I wronged him. He
calculated the direction in which we were likely to have drifted, and is
coming to our assistance."

In a short time the carpenter also observed to me that it was a raft,
with our countryman on it.

"We will not tell the mutineers so--let them find it out for themselves;
as they may form a plan for taking possession of it, if they think that
it would serve them better than this one," I observed.

How anxiously we waited the arrival of the raft! It came on very
slowly, for the breeze was light. Our own sail remained hoisted, but as
one of the sheets had been let go it remained partly furled round the
mast, and did not move the raft. Looking through my glass, I made out
Ben and another man. It was evident, then, that they had not succeeded
in saving any people from the burning wreck; probably, therefore, all
had perished.

The raft was soon visible to the dullest eyes of all on board. As she
approached, Boxall shouted to Ben, and advised him not to approach too
near--telling him of the disorderly state of those with us, and that
they would certainly attempt to take from him any water or provisions he
might have. Ben on this hauled down his sail, and we saw him apparently
endeavouring to make his companion understand the warning he had
received.

"We will do as you advise, sir," he shouted in return. "We have got
food and water enough on board for three or four people; and knowing
that you were likely to be short of both, we came to look for you. My
mate here is the brother of the boatswain, and is a very good fellow.
As you say, it will be dangerous for us to come alongside; but if Mr
Boxall, Mr Halliday, and you will swim off to us, we will run in closer
and take you aboard."

"No, no! don't come any nearer; we can all easily reach you," answered
Boxall. He did not wish to let the Spaniard know of his brother's
death, in case he might be less willing to remain faithful to us.

The mutineers, as well as the other people, suspected from this
conversation what we w