Part 11 (1/2)

Still the shi+p held on her course slowly, yet steadily, and no change of direction, no movement of any kind whatever, showed that he had been seen What troubled him noas the idea that the shi+p did not come any nearer This at first he refused to believe, but at last he saw it beyond doubt, for at length the hull was no longer visible above the horizon

The shi+p was now due north fro on a line directly parallel with the island It ca by it

And now Brandon saw that his last hope of attracting attention by the signal was gone The shi+p wasonward to the west, and every minute would make it less likely that those on board could see the rock

During the hours in which he had watched the shi+p he had been busy conjecturing what she ht have come

The direction indicated China ale, coers on their way back to England He ieneral intercourse His fancy created a thousand scenes of delightful association with ”the kindly race of men” All earthly happiness seemed to him at that time to find its centre on board that shi+p which passed before his eyes

The seas were bright and sparkling, the skies calm and deeply blue, the winds breathed softly, the white swelling sails puffed out like clouds against the blue sky beyond That shi+p seemed to the lonely watcher like Heaven itself Oh! to pass beyond the limits of this narrow sandy waste!

to cross the waters and enter there! Oh! to reach that shi+p which moved on so majestically, to enter there and be at rest!

It was not given him to enter there Brandon soon saw this The shi+p , and the sudden night of the tropics was co the staff down till it broke asunder on the hard rock, and stood for a fewout at sea in mute despair

Yet could he have knoas shortly to be the fate of that shi+p--shortly, only in a few days--he would not have despaired, he would have rejoiced, since if death were to be his lot it were better to die where he was than to be rescued and gain the sweet hope of life afresh, and then have that hope extinguished in blood

But Brandon did not re in idleness There was yet one resource--one which he had already thought of through that long day, but hesitated to try, since he would have to forsake his signal-station; and to remain there with his staff seemed to hinal-staff had failed, he had broken it, as soht break the hich had failed to work its appropriate spell, and other things were before him He took his coat and descended from the rock to athering gloom toward the wreck He did not run, nor did he in any way exhibit any excitement whatever He walked with a fir back, but advancing calone half-way it was dark The sun had gone down in a sea of fire, and the western sky, after fla for a time, had sunk into darkness There was no moon The stars shone dimly from behind a kind of haze that overspread the sky The wind came up more freshly from the east, and Brandon knew that this ould carry the shi+p which he wished to attract further and further away That shi+p had now died out in the dark of the ebon sea; the chances that he could catch its notice were all against him, yet he never faltered

He had come to a fixed resolution, which was at all hazards to kindle his signal-fire, whatever the chances against hi up would of necessity attract attention, and that the vessel ht be If this last hope failed, he was ready to die Death had now beco to be desired than avoided For he knew that it was only a change of life; and how much better would life be in a spiritual world than life on this lonely isle

This decision to die took away despair Despair is only possible to those who value this earthly life exclusively To the soul that looks forward to endless life despair can never come

It ith this sole by a last chance after life, yet now prepared to relinquish it He had struggled for life all these weeks; he had fought and wrestled for life with unutterable spiritual agony, all day long, on the summit of that rock, and now the bitterness of death was past

An hour and a half was occupied in the walk over the sand to the wreck

Fresh waves of dark had coh there were no clouds, yet the glooht in the sky above shohere the stars ht? He cared not He was going to kindle his signal-fire The as blowing freshly by the time that he reached the place Such a wind had not blown for weeks It would take the shi+p away farther What mattered it? He would seize his last chance, if it were only to put that last chance away forever, and thussince been made; the dry wood lay loosely thrown about the hold; the pile of shavings and fine thread-like splinters was there awaiting him He had only to apply the fire

He took his linen handkerchief and tore it up into fine threads, these he tore apart again and rubbed in his hand till they were almost as loose as lint He then took these loose fibres, and descending into the hold, put them underneath the pile which he had prepared Then he look his pistol, and holding it close to the lint fired it

The explosion rang out with startling force in the narrow hull of the shi+p, the lint received the fire and gloith the sparks into spots of red heat Brandon bleith his breath, and the wind strea down lent its assistance

In a few moments the as done

It blazed!

But scarcely had the first flauished it The sparks, however, were there yet It was as though the fickle ere tantalizing hi him Oncehis coat skirts in front of it till it h the fine splints, it extended itself toward the shavings, it threw its arer sticks

The dry wood kindled A million sparks flew out as it cracked under the assault of the devouring fire The flaer volu all around in its fervid embrace The flame had been baffled at first; but now, as if to assert its own supre that seemed almost like exultation That flame had once been conquered by the waters in this very shi+p The wood had saved the shi+p froh the WOOD had once invited the FIRE to union, but the WATER had stepped in and prevented the union by force; as though the WOOD, resenting the interference, had baffled the assaults of the WATER, and saved itself intact through the long years for the eht the WOOD once more after so many years, and in ardor unspeakable embraced its bride

Such fantastic notions passed through Brandon's fancy as he looked at the triu, and as he had not ive himself to the flames he clambered up quickly out of the hatchway and stood upon the sand without