rately turning his back on the spot, and passing
the cuff of his coat over his eyes.

The sun rose in all its splendour over the Indian Ocean, sleeping
quietly and calmly under its rays. There were plenty of sails, and an
awning was constructed, which gave shelter to all, and slowly and
wearily the day wore on.

So long as it remained calm there was no danger, and tedious as their
advance was it remained but a question of time as to when the forty
miles which separated them from the land should be passed. But night
set in before half the distance had been overcome, and there was a dull
moaning sound over the ocean, the sailors' eyes telling them that the
scud was flying from the westward, a wind which, if it set in, would
infallibly blow them off land. All night long the men toiled at the
heavy sweeps. They were fairly worn out with fatigue, some of them
sleeping at the oars. The captain, his mate, and passengers all took
their turn, but towards two o'clock the first puffs of the westerly gale
were felt, and the captain, seeing the utter uselessness of prolonging
the struggle, gave orders to ship the sweeps, and for the men to lie
down. Isabel had long since cried herself to sleep, and on board the
raft none but the captain and Hughes watched as morning dawned over the
sea.

Volume 2, Chapter IX.

SAIL HO!

On board everything had been done to promote the safety of its occupants
that could be effected. The lashings of the timbers had been carefully
overhauled and strengthened under Captain Weber's own superintendence,
while the boxes and cases of provisions, which had been lowered on to
the raft before pushing off from the sinking ship, had been arranged so
as to form a kind of walled cabin over which a heavy sail had been
spread as its roof. A light studding sail formed the door, which could
be brailed up or let down at the desire of the occupant. The weather
continued moderate, and though a green wave would occasionally break on
board, no great discomfort had been as yet experienced.

It had been a sad moment when the sweeps were unshipped, and when the
line of coast became fainter and fainter, until at last its outline was
no more distinguishable, and nothing was to be seen but the wide expanse
of ocean, on which the frail raft rose and fell. The gulls and Mother
Carey's chickens were their sole companions, and the sun rose without a
cloud, daily to pour its blaze of light over the calm waters of the