The Island Queen | Page 4

the more he rubbed his eyes, the
more convinced was he that a vessel was really in sight.
"Pauline," he said at length, with suppressed emotion, as he gently
shook her arm, "see, God has answered our prayers: a vessel is in
sight!"
The poor girl raised herself quickly, with an exclamation of
thankfulness, and gazed intently in the direction pointed out.
"It is, surely it is a ship," she said, "but--but--don't you think there is
something curious about its appearance?"
"I have indeed been puzzled during the last few minutes," replied
Dominick. "It seems as if there were something strange under her, and
her position, too, is rather odd.--Ho! Otto, rouse up, my boy, and look
at the vessel coming to save us. Your eyes are sharp! Say, d'you see
anything strange about her?"

Thus appealed to, Otto, who felt greatly refreshed by his good meal and
long sleep, sat up and also gazed at the vessel in question.
"No, Dom," he said at length; "I don't see much the matter with her,
except that she leans over on one side a good deal, and there's
something black under and around her."
"Can it be a squall that has struck her?" said Pauline. "Squalls, you
know, make ships lie over very much at times, and cause the sea round
them to look very dark."
"It may be so," returned Dominick doubtfully. "But we shall soon see,
for a squall won't take very long to bring her down to us."
They watched the approaching vessel with intense eagerness, but did
not again speak for a considerable time. Anxiety and doubt kept them
silent. There was the danger that the vessel might fail to observe them,
and as their oars had been washed away they had no means of hoisting
a flag of distress. Then there was the unaccountable something about
the vessel's appearance, which puzzled and filled them with uncertainty.
At last they drew so near that Dominick became all too well aware of
what it was, and a sinking of the heart kept him still silent for a time.
"Brother," said Pauline at last in a sad voice, as she turned her dark
eyes on Dominick, "I fear it is only a wreck."
"You are right," he replied gloomily; "a wreck on a barren shore, too.
Not a scrap of vegetation on it, as far as I can see--a mere sandbank.
Currents are carrying us towards it, and have led us to fancy that the
vessel was moving."
He spoke with bitterness, for the disappointment was very great, and
physical weakness had rendered him less able to bear it than he might
otherwise have been.
"Don't get grumpy, Dom," said Otto, with a slightly humorous look that
was peculiar to him--a look which had not lighted up his eyes for many
days past.

"I won't get grumpy," returned Dominick with sudden energy, patting
the boy's head. "It is quite clear that a good feed and a long rest were all
you required to set up your plucky little spirit again."
"Dom," said Pauline, who had been looking intently at the wreck, "is
there not something like a line of white close to the wreck?"
"Ay, there is," replied Dominick, his countenance again becoming
grave; "it is a line of breakers, through which it will be very difficult to
steer our little boat."
"Steer, Dom," exclaimed Otto, with a look of surprise; "how can you
talk of steering at all, without oar or helm?"
"I must make one of the floor-planks do for both," returned Dominick.
"I say," continued the boy, "I'm horribly hungry. Mayn't I have just a
bite or two more?"
"Stay, I'm thinking," replied the other.
"Think fast then, please, for the wolf inside of me is howling."
The result of Dominick's thinking was that he resolved to consume as
much of their stock of provisions as possible in one meal, in order to
secure all the strength that was available by such means, and thus fit
them for the coming struggle with the surf. "For," said he, "if we get
capsized far from the shore, we have no chance of reaching it by
swimming in our present weak condition. Our only plan is to get up all
the strength we can by means of food. So here goes!"
He untied the bundle as he spoke, and spread the contents on his knees.
Otto--who was, indeed, a plucky little fellow, and either did not realise
or did not fear the danger that lay before him--commenced to eat with
almost jovial avidity. Indeed, all three showed that they had benefited
greatly by what they had already eaten, and now, for the first time
during many days, consumed what they considered a full and
satisfactory meal, while they drifted slowly, but