win and Cuffy | Page 3

with a degree of strength that
surprised himself, and even drew from Cuffy the ghost of a bark. On
the strength of the discovery Jarwin and his dumb friend immediately
treated themselves to another glass of Adam's grog.
But poor Jarwin had his patience further tried. Hours passed away, and
still the island seemed as far off as ever. Night drew on, and it

gradually faded from his view. But he had unquestionably seen land; so,
with this to comfort him, the starving tar lay down beside his dog to
spend another night--as he had already spent many days and nights--a
castaway on the wide ocean.
Morning dawned, and the sailor rose with difficulty. He had forgotten,
for a moment, the discovery of land on the previous night, but it was
brought suddenly to his remembrance by the roar of breakers near at
hand. Turning in the direction whence the sound came, he beheld an
island quite close to him, with heavy "rollers" breaking furiously on the
encircling ring of the coral-reef. The still water between the reef and
the shore, which was about a quarter of a mile wide, reflected every
tree and crag of the island, as if in a mirror. It was a grand, a glorious
sight, and caused Jarwin's heart to swell with emotions that he had
never felt before; but his attention was quickly turned to a danger
which was imminent, and which seemed to threaten the total
destruction of his raft, and the loss of his life.
A very slight breeze--a mere zephyr--which had carried him during the
night towards the island, was now bearing him straight, though slowly,
down on the reef, where, if he had once got involved in the breakers,
the raft must certainly have been dashed to pieces; and he knew full
well, that in his weak condition, he was utterly incapable of contending
with such a surf.
Being a man of promptitude, his first act, on making this discovery,
was to lower the sail. This was, fortunately, done in time; had he kept it
up a few minutes longer, he must inevitably have passed the only
opening in the reef that existed on that side of the island. This opening
was not more than fifty yards wide. To the right and left of it the
breakers on the reef extended, in lines of seething foam. Already the
raft was rolling in the commotion caused by these breakers, as it drifted
towards the opening.
Jarwin was by no means devoid of courage. Many a time, in days gone
by, when his good ship was tossing on the stormy sea, or scudding
under bare poles, had he stood on the deck with unshaken confidence
and a calm heart, but now he was face to face with the seaman's most

dreaded enemy--"breakers ahead!"--nay, worse, breakers around him
everywhere, save at that one narrow passage, which appeared so small,
and so involved in the general turmoil, as to afford scarcely an element
of hope. For the first time in his life Jarwin's heart sank within him--at
least so he said in after years while talking of the event--but we suspect
that John was underrating himself. At all events, he showed no
symptoms of fear as he sat there calmly awaiting his fate.
As the raft approached the reef, each successive roller lifted it up and
dropped it behind more violently, until at last the top of one of the
glittering green walls broke just as it passed under the end of the raft
nearest the shore. Jarwin now knew that the next billow would seal his
fate.
There was a wide space between each of those mighty waves. He
looked out to sea, and beheld the swell rising and taking form, and
increasing in speed as it came on. Calmly divesting himself of his coat
and boots, he sat down beside his dog, and awaited the event. At that
moment he observed, with intense gratitude to the Almighty, that the
raft was drifting so straight towards the middle of the channel in the
reef, that there seemed every probability of being carried through it; but
the hope thus raised was somewhat chilled by the feeling of weakness
which pervaded his frame.
"Now, Cuffy," said he, patting the terrier gently, "rouse up, my doggie;
we must make a brave struggle for life. It's neck or nothing this time. If
we touch that reef in passing, Cuff, you an' I shall be food for the
sharks to-night, an' it's my opinion that the shark as gits us won't have
much occasion to boast of his supper."
The sailor ceased speaking abruptly. As he looked back at the
approaching roller he felt solemnised and somewhat alarmed, for it
appeared so perpendicular and so high from his low position,