the shore, but as it only kept along the coast, he knew that it was merely a fishing-boat, and in about an hour he observed it slowly returning. It was one of those clear, brilliant days that are only to be witnessed in the east; there was not a single cloud to break the blue expanse of the heavens, or intercept the burning rays of the sun, as they darted fiercely down upon the water, which seemed almost to rise in vapours from their heat; and poor Frank was now lying exposed to all their influence, with no shelter for his burning head, and not a drop of water to cool his parched tongue. About noon-day he saw a speck of white upon the utmost verge of the sea, and he soon discovered that it was a sail; but he was again doomed to suffer disappointment, as it bore away without coming within many miles of him. Evening was fast approaching, and he began already to anticipate the horrors of another night exposed to the mercy of the waves; since,

though he was drifting towards the shore, he was still too far distant to reach it before another day had passed. Hunger, too, was fast assailing him, as he had eaten nothing since the morning previous; but terror kept it for some time aloof. Again it occurred to him, that the spot where he was floating abounded with sharks, and once or twice, when he saw a piece of dark-coloured wood floating past him, he fancied it the fin of one of those ferocious animals which is frequently apparent above the water, whilst the hungry monster is gliding close beneath the surface of the sea. He deemed himself deserted by God and man; for he had no confidence to look for help from the one, and no relief to hope for from the other. To add to his dismay, he found that the wind was beginning to increase, and he feared that a tempest, should it ensue, would be but a speedy termination to his torments, as he had not enough of strength remaining to buffet with

the stormy waves. He prepared to resign himself to his fate, and with a faint and fearing heart he addressed a fervent prayer to Heaven, to entreat its protection, not as an act of favour to him who was so unworthy of it, but of mercy to his sorrowing and desolate mother he then leaned his burning cheek against the plank on which his safety depended, and closing his wearied eyes, he abandoned himself to the care of that God whose protection he had humbly, though unworthily, implored.

CHAPTER XV.

A RESCUE.-NEW COMPANIONS.FRESH

MISERY.

I remember, I remember,

The house where I was born,
The little window where the sun
Came peeping in at morn;

He never came a wink too soon,
Nor brought too long a day,
But now I often wish the night

Had borne my breath away.

T. HOOD.

IN this state of torpor and inaction, Frank had remained for about an hour, when his ear was struck by the report of a gun at no great distance; he started, and on raising his head saw a large boat, impelled by oars, standing

in towards him, and not more than two or three miles distant: the wind was fresh, and having suddenly rounded one of the headlands of the island, it had appeared to him thus unexpectedly; he immediately raised himself as far as he could above the water, and waved his arm as a signal for them to draw near to his rescue. It was some time before they observed it, but he eventually saw them haul round, and pull towards him. In a few moments they drew near, and Frank was pulled up the side of their little vessel; but judge of his surprise, to find it manned by the very crew of pirates whom he had but ten days before left under custody in the prisons of Hydra! Whether they had been dismissed by their countrymen, who were almost all engaged in the same unlawful pursuits, or that they had succeeded in making their escape by stealth, he could never learn; but he now stood, hungry and helpless, in the midst of them, with no other expectation than to be cast headlong into that