leave this cursed hole at last!"

I hardly understood him, but I went for the water and brought it in
the mess kid.

"I want more wood yet," said he. "Her head is this way, and she will
come nearer."

"Then she is alive," said I.

"Away, fool!" said he, giving me a cuff on the head; "get some more
water and throw on the wood."

He then went into the cabin to strike a light, which he obtained by
a piece of iron and flint, with some fine dry moss for tinder. While
he was so employed, my eyes were fixed on the vessel, wondering what
it could be. It moved through the water, turned this way and that.
"It must be alive," thought I; "is it a fish or a bird?" As I watched
the vessel, the sun was going down and there was not more than an
hour's daylight. The wind was very light and variable, which
accounted for the vessel so often altering her course. My companion
came out with his hands full of smoking tinder, and putting it under
the wood, was busy blowing it into a flame. The wood was soon set
fire to, and the smoke ascended several feet into the air.

"They'll see that," said he.

"What then, it has eyes? it must be alive. Does it mind the wind?"
inquired I, having no answer to my first remark, "for look there, the
little clouds are coming up fast," and I pointed to the horizon,