His CAPTORS. 171 



The Effort. The Doubt. The Fear. The Fate. 



oars with all their strength, and were making 

 rapidly toward the drowning young man, who 

 now and then disappeared entirely from view 

 under the seas which were beginning to roll. 

 A sickening anxiety pervaded me, as my 

 thoughts seemed to press the boat onward to 

 the spot where the poor fellow still grappled, 

 but convulsively, with the yielding waters. 



The boat, urged by man's utmost strength, 

 sprang over the boisterous waves with consid- 

 erable speed, but they arrived half a minute 

 too late to save our poor shipmate from his 

 watery grave. I saw him struggle with the 

 waves until the last, when the foam of a broken 

 sea roared over him, and caused him to disap- 

 pear forever ! The boat was rowed round and 

 round the fatal spot again and again, until 

 night fell, and then she was slowly and reluct- 

 antly pulled to the ship by her melancholy 

 crew. As they returned, the turbulent waves 

 tossed them about as if in sport, making the 

 boat rebound from the beating and dashing 

 waters which flew against her bow. 



The moment the unfortunate seaman disap- 

 peared, a large bird of the albatross kind came 

 careering along, and alighted on the water at 



