LOSS OF THE MAGPIE. 217 
their eyes ; in vain they turned from side to side to escape 
the burning raj^s of the sun ; they could not sleep, for now 
anxiety and fear kept both vigilant and on their guard. They 
dared not to court sleep, for that might have been the last ot 
mortal repose. Once they nearly quarrelled, but fortunately 
the better feelings of humanity overcame the bitterness of 
despair. The foremost man had long complained of thirst, 
and had frequently dipped his hand into the water and suck- 
ed the fluid. This w^as hastily done, for all the horrors of the 
night were still before them, and not unfrequently the sharp 
fin of a shark was seen not very far from the boat. In the 
midst of the excruciating torments of thirst, heightened by 
the salt water, and the irritable temper of the bowman, as he 
stamped his impatient foot against the bottom boards, and tore 
his hair with unfeeling indifference, he suddenly stopped the 
expression of his rage, and called out — " By , there is a 
sail !" The extravagance of joy was now equal to the former 
despair. They jumped into each other's arms — they laugh- 
ed and cried together. It was a sail, a brig, which had a 
light breeze aloft, and was steering exactly in their direction. 
Every means of making a signal was resorted to. One stood 
upon the thwart and flung his jacket in the air, whilst th-e 
other, although the stranger was miles distant, endeavored to 
hail her. Sometimes they hailed together, in order to pro- 
duce a louder sound, and occasionally both stood up to make 
some signal. Their eyes w^ere never off the brig. They 
thought no longer of the burning sun, or of hunger, or of 
thirst ; deliverance was at hand, at least so they flattered them- 
selves, and no time of greatest joy could have beat the excite- 
ment and gratification of that moment. Whilst they stood 
watching in silence the approach of the brig, which slowl}- 
made her way through the water, and at the very instant that 
the}' w^ere assuring each other that they were seen, and that 
the vessel was purposely steered on the course she w^as keep- 
ing to reach them, the whole fabric of hope was destroj^ed in 
a second; the brig kept away about three points, and began 
to make more sail. Then was it an awful moment. Their 
countenances saddened as they looked at each other ; for in 
vain they hailed — in vain they threw their jackets in the air — 
It was evident they had never been seen, and that the brig was 
steering her proper course. 
Both now attempted to break adrift one of the fixed thwarts. 
The loose ones had been lost during the night ; and akhough, 
as all may fancy, every muscle was exerted, and all the stren.eth 
19 
