tamaran_, whose sailing
qualities were superior to those of her pursuer. Her crew, moreover,
less caring for what had happened to Monsieur Le Gros, were the first to
recover from their surprise; and before the comrades of the half-eaten
Frenchman thought of continuing the chase, they had forced ahead several
lengths of their craft from the dangerous contiguity so near being
established between them.

The ruffian crew--now castaways--of the _Pandora_ had been awed by the
strange incident,--so much so as to believe, for a time, that something
more than chance had interfered to bring it about. They were not all
friends of the unfortunate man, who had succumbed to such a singular
fate. The inquest that had been interrupted was still fresh in their
minds, and many of them believed that the inquiry--had it proceeded to a
just termination--would have resulted in proving the guilt of Le Gros,
and proclaiming him the murderer of O'Gorman.

Under this belief, there were many aboard the big raft that would not
have cared to continue the chase any further, had it merely been to
avenge the death of their late leader. With them, as with the others,
there was a different motive for doing so,--a far more powerful
incentive,--and that was the thirst which tortured all, and the belief
that the escaping craft carried the means to relieve it.

The moiety of their mutilated chief, lying along the planks of the raft,
engaged their thoughts only for a very short while; and was altogether
forgotten, when the cry of "Water!" once more rising in their midst,
urged them to resume the pursuit.

Once more did they betake themselves to their oars,--once more did they
exert their utmost strength,--but with far less effect than before.
They were still stimulated by the torture of thirst; but they no longer
acted with that unanimity which secures success. The head that had
hitherto guided them with those imperious eyes--now glaring ghastly from
the extremity of the severed trunk--was no longer of authority among
them; and they acted in that undecided and irregular manner always
certain to result in defeat.

Perhaps, had things continued as they were, they might have made up for
the lost opportunity; and, in time, have overtaken the fugitives on the
_Catamaran_; but during that excited interval a change had come over the
surface of the sea, which influenced the fate both of pursuers and
pursued.

The dark line, first narrowly observed by the