A Runaway Brig;

en more than the long pull in the Sally; therefore all three slept as soundly as if they had been snugly tucked-up i

rose suddenly to a sitting posture with a misty idea that h

y upturned on the main hatch soon brought back to his mind all the strange occurrences of the previous day,

em had spoken. Rising to his feet he gazed eagerly over the p

e from his mind. "We must be out of the track of vessels or one would be in sight by this time; and when the next

ahoy!

sibility that it was a trick of the imagination. One would have said it came from the sea directly beneath the brig

ed, "Sailors don't run away from a sound vessel witho

p a dying man!

, thoroughly convinced he had heard something supernat

per. "This brig has been hailed three ti

round in bewilderment; but seeing nothing, and after Jim h

Sally, even if we are out of sight of land, than stay

sting the vessel with a sense of life and animation directly at variance wit

ing his head gravely as if the subject w

groan was heard as if coming from beneath their feet, and all three instinctively ran across the deck

for as Jim leaped into the main rigging with the intention of going alof

indicated by his trembling hand, the boys saw a Whitehall-built boat about twenty feet long made fast to the mai

s a man. His outstretched hands looked like claws, so tightly was the skin drawn over the bones, an

ed sailor in the last stages of starvation. The night had been calm, and he probably propelled his craft with oars after the wind died away, ma

t these mute evidences of agony without making any

p him? Perhaps instead of bei

s he clambered over the side, and an instant later he was lifting the

been banished by the desire to aid the sufferer, and i

t the first glance, and before the boy could bathe his face thoroughly he had r

d. "I've heard that people who have been almo

but he swallowed the liquid more eagerly, and the boy was forc

m. "You can drink till you bu'st, after a spell, but

upon him and thus obtain that which would quench his burning thirst,

are the

boys are alone. Have you got stren

is feet, but his limbs refused to obey the will, and he sank bac

ufferer had swallowed half a dozen mouthfuls eagerly, he shouted

d heavier burdens-until those above could seize him under the arms

ide, lying him upon it tenderly; and while they were thus occupie

ithout waiting to select any particular kind he s

as but the work of a few moments, and then he carried a bowl full of

rm to eat this. I'll get a spoon, a

had strength enough to raise the bowl to his lips, and in the sh

re was anything inside," Jim said in a low tone to Harry as the sufferer la

see if he asks for it. I

addition to their number, and instead of finding relief in the coming of

s he went into the galley; "but what we're goi

yet they had not breakfasted, however, and he at on

on the lazy swell, swinging her bow from one point of the compass to another under the influence of ocean currents

that the stranger had awakened and asked for food; and by the time the invalid

d on the mattress aft. His coming had temporarily driven from their minds the sorrow caused

hipwrecked man might be of great assistance in the future, "his boat is a long ways ahead of the Sally, an' I wouldn't be afraid

made preparations for securing the boat, which he rightly believ

interfere with the laborers; but it was finally finished successfully, and the young captain had

akened again, and Jim had more soup heated, this tim

shes on the house, "for there's plenty aboard to fill up a man twice

it was concluded the ghastly look on his face had given place

" he asked; and Jim began at once to relate their misad

crew wouldn't 'a' left everything behind!" he said in conclusion; "but we couldn't start away in the Sally, '

abandonin' a good

, an'-an'-Well, to tell the

y foolish; but at the same time he could give no rea