oner
or later must the Coromantee become also the prey of the all-swallowing
ocean.

For several minutes--they seemed hours to all--did the struggle continue
between man and _Catamaran_, without any very great advantage in favour
of either. It is true some change had taken place in the relative
positions of the parties. The Coromantee, at starting in pursuit of the
raft, had been some fathoms in the wake of Ben Brace and his _protege_.
They were now in his wake, falling, alas! still farther behind him.
Unfortunately for all, Snowball, while increasing his distance from
them, was not lessening it from the _Catamaran_; and therefore the
advantage he was gaining over the sailor could be of no use, so long as
the raft proved swifter as a sailer than he was as a swimmer.

Snowball's original idea in striking out in pursuit of the _Catamaran_
was to get aboard; and, by making a better use of the steering-oar than
he had hitherto done, to bring the craft back within _saving_ distance
of the exhausted swimmer. Confident in his natatory powers, he had at
first believed this feat to be not only possible, but probable and easy.
It was only after several minutes spent in the pursuit, and the
distance between him and the _Catamaran_ seemed to grow greater instead
of less, that the negro really began to feel anxiety about the result.

This anxiety kept increasing as the minutes passed, and the broad
stretch of blue water between him and the _Catamaran_ appeared to grow
no narrower, strike out as he would with all the strength of his sinewy
arms, and kick as he might with all the muscular energy that lay in his
stout legs.

His anxiety became anguish, when, after one of his most vigorous
efforts, he believed, or fancied, that all had been in vain, and that
the _Catamaran_ had actually gained upon him. Whether fancy or not, it
produced conviction in his mind that to overtake the craft was
impossible; and all at once he discontinued the attempt. He did not,
however, remain stationary in the water. Far from that. On abandoning
the pursuit of the _Catamaran_, he turned like an otter, and looked back
in the direction from which he had come. In this direction, nearly two
hundred fathoms distant, two dark objects, so close together as to seem
one, were visible over the "curl" of the water.

They were just visible to an eye elevated several inches above the
surface; and Snowball was obliged to buoy himself into an erect
attitude