A SAIL IN SIGHT. 85

fancied looking disappointed at our having escaped
his hungry maw. Happily the sea by this time had
gone considerably down, or our task would have
been rendered hopeless. As it was it took us a
considerable time to lessen the water in the boat,
for deep as she was, the water which leaped in often
again nearly refilled her. Still we persevered, for
we were, we knew, labouring for our lives. Mean-
time the shark, as if longing to make us its prey,
kept swimming round and round the boat. At a
short distance the brigantine was burning furiously,
and already the flames, ascending the masts, had
caught the rigging and sails.

While as I could not help doing, I turned my
gaze at her I saw far away in the horizon the white
sail of a vessel. ‘A gail! a sail!’ I shouted; ‘we
are saved Paul, we are saved.’

Paul looked up for a minute. ‘Yes,’ he said,
‘she standing this way. The burning ship bring
her down to us. She bigschooner. May be good,
may be bad! though.’