Part 5 (1/2)

Jerry Bird, who ought to have been on the watch before, now took Desain to wait for

Sailors are accustomed to short snatches of sleep Even half an hour or less of rest was not to be despised, so that in less than a etfulness of where they were Tootten in his sleep what had happened, and no sooner had the pale light of earlyhis eyes, he crept out of the tent over Bird, who had just dropped off ”I will let the rest sleep on, and see how things look,” he said to himself As he made his way over the fallen trunks towards the bay, he kept looking out to discover soht climb to the summit of the rock, under whose shelter they had slept, and which he supposed to be the highest point thereabouts, in order that he th found a part, froht reach the top of the hill He had began his ascent, when he heard Des down he waited for his ed and uneven than they had at first supposed Soe, then he hauled Desrew in the crevices of the rock, which assisted theether on the top On casting their eyes around, they could nowhere see the shi+p; indeed, they scarcely expected that she would have been in sight As far as the eye could range to the southward and eastward, foaiant waves leaped up and down, but already theirlazily and slowly against each other, as if weary of their late exertions, though the breakers incessantly burst on the rocky coast, sendingfar inland

”Even should the shi+p appear, we are not likely to be able to get out to her to-day,” observed Desh which the seas cah last night”

”We may indeed be thankful to heaven that ere not swamped,” said Tom; ”but I should not be surprised if we find, within a few hours, should the shi+p appear, that we can get off to her There has scarcely been ti; I do hope that the other boats got on board, or they will have run great risk of being lost”

”Perhaps our shi+pmates landed,” observed Deslad to know for certain that Archie and Jos Green and Mr Joy are safe, though it is a terrible thing to think that the shi+p may have been cast away”

”We will hope for the best,” answered Too down and see how the boat has fared I ah I don't see hoe could have secured her better than we did”

The descent was nearly as difficult as the cli fro a dozen or more feet at a time down to the next level They had nearly reached the botto up towards them The countenances of both wore an aspect of dismay

”What has happened?” asked Toone!” answered Billy; ”we can't see her anywhere, not even a bit of her wreck”

”Faith! that's bad news,” exclaimed Desmond; ”but did you look everywhere? for, reood wide space”

”No, we did not go right up to the spot, for there was no use in doing that,” answered Billy

”Then ill, and perhaps we ns which may indicate the direction in which she has been driven,” said Toly set off Tom observed what Billy had failed to do, that the shape of the beach was greatly altered, the wind having driven the sand far higher up than usual, so that in sorass and shrubs grew Indeed, a portion of the grassy ground had itself been covered up by the sand

”What shall we do without the boat?” cried Billy; ”we shall have to spend our lives here, I suppose, if the shi+p has been lost, and the ”

”I hope they are wrong in their conjectures,” answered Tom; ”and as for the boat, I ah weat that part of the beach where the boat had been left, Tom looked round in every direction, and exae of the beach

”If she was driven in this direction, she would have broken some of these bushes, but they do not appear to have been injured,” he observed

”Now, let us see whereabouts she lay Do you think you can tell, Bird?” The seah just such a clump of bushes as these, directly after I left her; and look there, sir, there is her rudder and a stretcher,” and he enu to the boat

Then stepping back, he said, ”I'm sure it was just hereabouts where she lay”

”Then, depend upon it, here we shall find her Don't you see the sand has blown over her, and she is safe enough within it To save ourselves trouble, ill dig a line parallel with the beach, and another at right angles, and the chances are we shall strike soo and call the otherthe breakfast, sir,” observed Bird

”Let theo on by all means,” said To her up”

They immediately set to work, under Toher than they had supposed, and as they had only the boat's stretchers and their hands to ith, it was a slow business