Part 7 (2/2)

After a tiry, and then he recollected that at dinner he had clapped a biscuit into his pocket He felt for it It was soaked through and through, and nearly turned into paste, but it served to stay his appetite, and to keep up his strength At length he became somewhat drowsy, but he did his best to keep awake

Feeling about, he got hold of a piece of rope, hich he ed to secure himself to the raft Had he found it before, it would have saved hi that there was now less risk of being washed away,desire which had attacked hi to it, his eyes closed, and he dropped off to sleep

How long he had been in that state he could not tell, when he was aroused by the sound of hu his eyes, he found that the sun was shi+ning down upon hi He sooncraft with five people on board

They hailed hied, however, to wave one of his hands to show that he was alive

The fishi+ng-vessel caone down A boat was launched from her deck, and pulled up to the raft, with two , but Bill could not understand the on to the raft, and casting off the lashi+ngs which held Bill to it, the next instant was safe in the boat with hi placed him in the stern-sheets, the boat quickly returned to the cutter

Bill was lifted on board, and the boat was then hauled up again on the cutter's deck His preservers, though rough-looking men, uttered exclamations in kind tones which assured Bill that he had fallen into good hands One of the off his wet clothes, placed him between the blankets in a berth on one side

In a few minutes the sa-vessel, returned with a cup of hot coffee and so to cool it, he ns to Bill that he ladly did, and he then felt able to eat soreatly restored his strength

He wished, however, that he could answer the questions which the uessed that they were Frenchmen, but not a word of French did he know

At last another lish boy?” asked the man

”Yes,” said Bill

”shi+p burn; blow up?” was the next question put to Bill, the speaker shohat he meant by suitable action

”Yes,” said Bill, ”and I ah you are French, you won't send me to prison, I hope?”

”Have no fear,” answered theround to his companions, he explained what Bill had said They sarcon”

”No! no! no! You sleep noe take care of you,” said the interpreter, whose knowledge of English was, however, so inclination to follow the advice given hi up his wet clothes, carried thealley fire forward The rest went on deck, and Bill in anotherBill could not tell He had known her to be a fishi+ng-vessel by seeing the nets on deck, and he had guessed that she was French by the way in which the people on board had spoken They had given evidence also that they intended to treat him kindly

Soain awoke, feeling very hungry It was daylight, and he saw that his clothes were laid at the foot of his berth

Finding that his strength had returned, he got up, and began dressing himself He had just finished when he saw that there was some one in the opposite berth ”Perhaps the skipper was up all night, and has turned in,” thought Bill; but as he looked again, he saw that the head was certainly not that of a man, but the face was turned away froo on deck, to try and thank the French fisher his life, but before he did so curiosity proain into the berth

What was his surprise and joy to recognise the features of his shi+p, which showed that he was alive At all events, Bill thought that he would not awake hier as he was to kno he had been saved

He went up on deck, hoping that the ht be able to tell hi the deck he found that the vessel was close in with the land

She was towing a shattered gig, which Bill recognised as one of those belonging to the _Foxhound_ He at once conjectured that Jack had et into her