ssor became professor "emeritus."

The 13th of September was noted for one of the greatest and cruellest
deceptions to which, on a desert island, the unfortunate survivors of a
shipwreck could be subjected.

Godfrey had never again seen that inexplicable and undiscoverable smoke
on the island; but on this day, about three o'clock in the afternoon,
his attention was attracted by a long line of vapour, about the origin
of which he could not be deceived.

He had gone for a walk to the end of Flag Point--the name which he had
given to the cape on which he had erected his flagstaff. While he was
looking through his glass he saw above the horizon a smoke driven by the
west wind towards the island.

Godfrey's heart beat high.

"A ship!" he exclaimed.

But would this ship, this steamer, pass in sight of Phina Island? And if
it passed, would it come near enough for the signal thereon to be seen
on board?

Or would not rather the semi-visible smoke disappear with the vessel
towards the north-west or south-west of the horizon?

For two hours Godfrey was a prey to alternating emotions more easy to
indicate than to describe.

The smoke got bigger and bigger. It increased when the steamer re-stoked
her fires, and diminished almost to vanishing-point as the fuel was
consumed. Continually did the vessel visibly approach. About four
o'clock her hull had come up on the line between the sky and the sea.

She was a large steamer, bearing north-east. Godfrey easily made that
out. If that direction was maintained, she would inevitably approach
Phina Island.

Godfrey had at first thought of running back to Will Tree to inform
Tartlet. What was the use of doing so? The sight of one man making
signals could do as much good as that of two. He remained there, his
glass at his eye, losing not a single movement of the ship.

The steamer kept on her course towards the coast, her bow steered
straight for the cape. By five o'clock the horizon-line was already
above her hull, and her rig was visible. Godfrey could even recognize
the colours at her gaff.

She carried the United States' ensign.

"But if I can see their flag, cannot they see mine? The wind keeps it
out, so that they could easily see my flag with their glasses. Shall I
make signals, by raising it and lowering it a few times, so as to show
that I want to enter into communication with them? Yes! I have not an
instant to lose."

It was a good idea. Godfrey ran to the end o