Jack Norths Treasure Hunt | Page 9

the regular swish, swish of the big wheel;
but he must have been mistaken, for after a moment he realized that the
Standish was not within hearing.
He had begun to shout for help, and this shouting he kept up until he
was hoarse, and he felt that it would be better to save all of his strength
in the great battle for life ahead.
No one, who has not been there, can know the utter hoplessness of
being castaway upon the great, boundless ocean with not even a plank
to keep him from a watery grave.
Jack North was brave and sanguine, but for a time he felt that it was
useless for him to try and keep up. Then the thought of home and loved
ones, with all the bright dreams and hopes of life, gave him the
resolution to fight for victory over defeat until the very last. He had
heard of sailors who had been cast away, and who had managed to keep
afloat a whole night and day. Might not he keep from drowning until
morning?
At any rate he would not give up while he had the strength to struggle
against fate.

Buoyed up with hopes which he knew were groundless, he swam on
and on through the dark expanse of waters girdling him.
When he had gone as far as he deemed prudent he would turn upon his
back and thus float upon the bosom of the great deep, borne by its
ceaseless tide he knew not whither.
Perhaps he was being carried further and further out to sea, or it might
be he was slowly approaching the shore of the southern continent.
That was the longest, most gloomy night Jack North ever knew. He saw
nor heard nothing of the steamer during the long hours of darkness and
desolation.
With the first faint streak of daylight he scanned the surrounding sea
with anxious, eager gaze. But whither he would look, north, south, east
or west, not an object broke the monotony of the view.
He felt that he was hopelessly lost, and he wondered in his despair if
his true fate would be known.
As it grew lighter he continued to watch the sea for some welcome
sight, until he saw, away on his left, a dark rim on the horizon. Was it a
cloud or--land?
He dared not hope it was the latter at first, but as it grew plainer he felt
a thrill of joy pass through his worn-out frame.
"Land!" he cried, coming near drowning in the exuberance of his
new-found discovery.
Even after he had seen land it seemed he was doomed to
disappointment.
It did not appear that he had strength to reach it. Still the prospect
ahead served to give power to his weary limbs and a new lease of
endurance to his overworked body.
As he swam nearer he saw that great pointed peaks pierced the sky

wherever he looked, while abrupt walls of rock rose from the water's
edge to the height of many hundred feet.
These he realized could not be scaled by him, and as he gazed on the
gray, moss-covered rocks dripping with the spray of the ocean that
continually beat against their rugged sides, hopelessness again came
near overpowering him.
Above the granite front of this lonely island, as he believed it to be, he
could see stupendous ridges of reddish earth rise in countless numbers
and always running back toward the centre, with here and there green
pastures of grass, but he looked in vain for a break in the adamantine
barrier which made this ocean-bound realm unapproachable.
In his despair he was nearly overjoyed to suddenly see a boat, with two
men in it, come around an angle of the rock-bound shore.
He shouted as loudly as he could in his exhausted state for help, and
then gave up the battle, and sank.
But strong arms were near, and the boatmen, hearing his cries, rowed
rapidly to his assistance and picked him up as he was going down for
the last time.
When Jack recovered consciousness he found himself lying on a rude
couch, with a friendly face looking into his and his hand held by the
same person.
"Well, here you are," said the man. "I had about given up looking for
you to come out of it. You must have had a long, hard pull against the
sea."
"Where am I?" asked Jack. "Who are you?"
"You are on the island of Robinson Crusoe. As to myself, I am an
American by the name of William Pearce. Before I shall ask you even
your name I shall advise you to keep quiet and go to sleep if you can.
You are among friends."

Jack was fain to follow this