Part 6 (1/2)

Reuben overheard him ”To my mind, Paul, when a person has done what he believes is for the best and because he thinks it is right, he has no cause to grumble or to be unhappy,” he observed in his quiet way

”Don't you fear, all will turn out right at last”

Paul felt weaker than he had ever done before, and his eye was dihts flowed as freely as ever

He was fully aware that death ht of home and of his ht not grieve veryshi+p-boy, but he knew that his mother would mourn for hih-born her in the sky: its rays struck down as hotly as on the day before ”Water! water! water!” was the cry froh only a young midshi+pman was the chief, and not a man attempted to takethat he could not endure many more hours of such thirst, when he saw Reuben's eyes directed to the north-east

”Yes! yes! it is! it is!” exclaith

”What! a shi+p?” asked Paul, alerness

”No, but a breeze,” cried his friend ”Itup a shi+p to our rescue”

All eyes were now turned in the direction froe of the hitherto unvarying expanse of molten silver, a dark blue line was seen; broader and broader it grew

With such strength as they possessed the seaainst the lide slowly over the ocean A faint cheer burst fro crew; yet how ues must be passed over before that raft could reach the land! Howon it would set foot on that land? Too probably not one--not one Day after day the raft glided on, but each day death claimed a victim Still, Devereux and O'Grady and Alphonse kept up their spirits in a hich appealed wonderful to Paul, till he found that he was himself equally resolved to bear up to the last

There was still soht co in the sky; the sea was getting up, and the raft, though still progressing, was tossed about in a hichthrown or washed off it They secured theain the water was served out A iven to Paul

”Poor boy! let him have it,” he heard Devereux say; ”it is the last drop”

Now more than ever was rain prayed for Without rain, should no succour cos of all the party would be over

Faster and faster the raft drove on It ell constructed, or it would not have held together Still they dared not lessen their sail

Land ht be reached at last if they would persevere Now they rose to the suh It seemed every instant that the next must see the destruction of the raft, yet, like hope in a young boso billows Now dark clouds were gathering Eagerly they atched by the seamen with upturned eyes A few drops fell They elcomed with a cry of joy More came, and then the rain fell in torrents Their parched throats were moistened, but unless they could spread their sail to collect the precious fluid, they could save but little for the future Still, life is sweet, and they h to preserve their lives for another day As they dared not lower their sail, they stretched out their jackets and shi+rts, and wrung them as they were saturated with fresh water into the only cask they had saved Before it was a quarter full the rain ceased They watched with jealous eyes the clouds driving away below the horizon, while the sun shone forth as brightly as before on their unguarded heads Still the raft tumbled furiously about, and with the utht returned; it was a night of horror

Their provisions were exhausted When the est wereand been washed away

”It th was failing

”The same hand which has hitherto preserved us few still alive on this raft is strong to preserve us to the end,” said James Croxton, an old seaman, who, even on ordinary occasions said but little, and had only spoken since the shi+p went down to utter a feords of encourageate as Jireater number of his shi+pmates ”Never fear, h we don't see the Hand which sends it Let us pray”

Jireat effect It was followed by all, and the united prayers of the seaether on high One and all seeth they had not before felt The raft continued to be tossed about as before, and the hot wind blew, and the sun shone on their unsheltered heads The sun rose higher and higher and then descended, watched anxiously by the seamen till it dipped below the horizon Could any of them expect to see another sun arise? They seldoht The voice of Ji his co andbroke they were all alive, and the voice of Reuben, who had dragged hi, ”A sail! a sail! standing towards us!”

The information was received in various ways by the people on the raft; soroaned, declaring that they should not be seen, and that the shi+p would pass them by Old Croxton, however, who had si, kept his eyes steadily on the approaching shi+p

”She is nearing us! she is nearing us!” he uttered slowly every now and then

Paul gasped his breath, and felt as if he should faint away altogether, as he saw that the shi+p was a British man-of-war, and that the raft was evidently perceived by those on board She drew nearer and nearer, and, heaving to, lowered two boats, which rapidly approached the raft In that tu close enough to the raft to take off the people Paul, as the youngest, was the first to be transferred by his companions to the nearest boat Even at that moment he was struck by the expression of the countenances of most of the crew No one smiled; no one see

”You think, youngster, that you'll be changing for the better, getting off your raft aboard that frigate there?” growled out one of the ot out of the frying-pan into the fire, let me tell you It's a perfect hell afloat, and to my mind the captain's the--”

”Silence there, forward!” shouted the officer in coain”

One by one the people were taken off the raft Devereux insisted on re to the last, and he was taken off in the second boat No sooner had he been placed in her than several of her crew leaped on to the raft

”Better run the chance of a watery grave than live aboard there,”

shouted one of theto hoist the sail which had been lowered ”Hurrah, lads! for the coast of America and freedom!”