gth to the extreme point. Jarwin observed
the successful effort, laughed feebly, and said, "Brayvo, Cuffy," with
evident delight; for it reminded him of the days when that little shred
of a door-mat, in the might of its vigour, was wont to wag its tail so
violently as to convulse its whole body, insomuch that it was difficult
to decide whether the tail wagged the body, or the body the tail!

But, although Jarwin made light of his sufferings, his gaunt, wasted
frame would have been a sad sight to any pitiful spectator, as with
weary aspect and unsteady gait he moved about on the sandy ridge in
search of more food, or gazed with longing eyes on the richly-wooded
island.

For it must be remembered that our castaway had not landed on the island
itself, but on that narrow ring of coral-reef which almost encircled it,
and from which it was separated by the lagoon, or enclosed portion of
the sea, which was, as we have said, about a quarter of a mile wide.

John Jarwin would have thought little of swimming over that narrow belt
of smooth water in ordinary circumstances, but now he felt that his
strength was not equal to such a feat. Moreover, he knew that there
were sharks in these waters, so he dismissed the idea of swimming, and
cast about in his mind how he should manage to get across. With Jarwin,
action soon followed thought. He resolved to form a small raft out of
portions of the large one. Fortunately his clasp-knife had been
attached, as seamen frequently have it, to his waist-belt, when he
forsook his ship. This was the only implement that he possessed, but it
was invaluable. With it he managed to cut the thick ropes that he could
not have untied, and, in the course of two hours--for he laboured with
extreme difficulty--a few broken planks and spars were lashed together.
Embarking on this frail vessel with his dog, he pushed off, and using a
piece of plank for an oar, sculled himself over the lagoon.

It was touching, even to himself, to observe the slowness of his
progress. All the strength that remained in him was barely sufficient
to move the raft. But the lagoon was as still as a mill-pond. Looking
down into its clear depths, he could see the rich gardens of coral and
sea-weed, among which fish, of varied and brilliant colours, sported
many fathoms below. The air, too, was perfectly calm.

Very slowly he left the reef astern; the middle of the lagoon was
gained; then, gradually, he neared the island-