I fancied, too, that her sails were no
longer filled, but were hanging loose against her masts. Turning
to the direction of the wind I tried to make out some chance of a
rising breeze; but no, the waves were calm and torpid, and the
little puff of air that had aroused our hopes had died away
across the sea.
I stood aft with M. Letourneur, Andre and Miss Herbey, and our
glances perpetually wandered from the distant ship to our
captain's face. Curtis stood leaning against the mast, with the
boatswain by his side; their eyes seemed never for a moment to
cease to watch the brig, but their countenances clearly expressed
the varying emotions that passed through their minds. Not a word
was uttered, nor was the silence broken, until the carpenter
exclaimed, in accents of despair,--
"She's putting about!"
All started up: some to their knees, others to their feet, The
boatswain dropped a frightful oath. The ship was still nine
miles away, and at such a distance it was impossible for our
signal to be seen; our tiny raft, a mere speck upon the waters,
would be lost in the intense irradiation of the sunbeams. If
only we could be seen, no doubt all would be well; no captain
would have the barbarous inhumanity to leave us to our fate; but
there had been no chance; only too well we knew that we had not
been within the range of sight.
"My friends," said Curtis, "we must make a fire; it is our last
and only chance."
Some planks were quickly loosened and thrown into a heap upon the
fore part of the raft.
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