Part 2 (2/2)

Halliday and I sat down again, not feeling inclined to walk about. We asked Boxall what he proposed doing.

”We must return to our raft, and try and get her round the reef,” he answered. ”The weather promises still to be moderate, and I think we shall have no difficulty in doing so.”

”But how are we to get on without food?” asked Halliday. ”If Ben would give me another piece of biscuit I might pick up a little; but I never could stand hunger.”

We looked round for Ben, but we found he had walked away, and was, as it seemed, sauntering idly along the beach. The tide had by this time gone out, and a considerable s.p.a.ce of rocky ground was uncovered. We none of us felt inclined to move, but at the same time we knew that we must exert ourselves or perish; we wanted water more than anything else.

”We have no chance of finding it on this barren sand-bank,” I observed with a sigh.

”I am not so certain of that,” said Boxall. ”I have heard that in the driest sand, provided the sea does not wash over it, drinkable water may be procured by digging deep down. Let us try, at all events.”

Agreeing to do as he proposed, we got up and walked along till we saw some tufts of gra.s.s; they were thin, and burned brown by the sun.

”Let us try here,” said Boxall. ”This gra.s.s would not grow without some moisture; and possibly, by digging down, we shall find it at the roots.”

We set to work with our knives, but soon found that we could throw out the sand more rapidly with our hands than with these. We worked away, eagerly sc.r.a.ping out the sand. The roots ran very deep. ”This is a most encouraging sign,” said Boxall. ”Observe how much cooler the sand is here than at the top.” It continued, however, to roll down almost as fast as we threw it up, and we had to enlarge the circ.u.mference of the hole. Still no appearance of water; but the roots extended even further down than we had yet gone, and we persevered. We had got down nearly three feet, when we saw that some of the particles of sand glistened more than those at the top, and were of a brighter hue.

”See--see! they are wet!” exclaimed Halliday, digging away frantically.

We now got down into the hole, and threw the sand up behind us.

Halliday at length brought up a handful which was moist, and pressed it to his lips. ”It is free from salt!” he cried out; and again we all plunged down, till we came to a patch of wet sand. By keeping our hands in it, a little water at length began to trickle into them, which we eagerly drank. But this process appeared a very slow one. Had we possessed a cup of any sort to sink in the sand, we might have filled it; as it was, we were compelled to wait till we could get a few drops at a time in the hollow of our hands. Slow as was the proceeding, however, we at length somewhat overcame the burning thirst from which we had been suffering.

”Why should we not try to fill our shoes?” I exclaimed, as the thought struck me.

”We might try it; but it will take a long time to fill _one_ of them,”

said Boxall; ”and I am afraid that the water will leak out as fast as it runs in.”

”I am ready to devote mine to the purpose, at all events,” I said, taking them off and working them down into the sand--though it was evident that a long time must elapse before water could flow into them.

”But what has become of Ben?” I asked; ”we must let him know, as probably he is as thirsty as we were.”

We looked round, and at last caught sight of him stooping down, as if picking up something at the edge of the water. We shouted to him, but he was so busily engaged that he did not hear us.

”He has found some mussels or other sh.e.l.l-fish,” exclaimed Halliday, setting off to run; ”I am desperately hungry.”

”Depend on it, Ben will give us a due share of whatever he has found,”

said Boxall, as we followed our companion.

”Have you found any mussels?” Halliday was asking as we drew near.

”Better than mussels--oysters,” answered Ben. ”It's a very hard job, however, to get them off the rock. I intended to surprise you, thinking you were all still asleep, and so I waited till I could get enough for all of us.”

He showed us his ample pockets already full; and, hungry as he was, I am certain that the honest fellow had not touched one of them. We retired to the dry sand, and sitting down, eagerly opened the oysters with our knives. How delicious they were! meat and drink in one, as Ben observed--for we could scarcely have swallowed any dry food just then.

We found our strength greatly restored after our meal.

Having told Ben of the means we had taken to find water, we advised him to come back with us and get a drink.

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