And when our young mariner did look aside, it was more with the intention of relieving eyes that had grown dim with gazing, than of not returning to the same objects again, as soon as restored to their power.  It was while walking to and fro on the peak, with this intent, that a new subject of interest caused him almost to leap into the air, and to shout aloud.  He saw a sail!  For the first time since Betts disappeared from his anxious looks, his eyes now surely rested on a vessel.  What was more, it was quite near the island he was on, and seemed to be beating up to get under its lee.  It appeared but a speck on the blue waves of the ocean, seen from that height, it is true; but Mark was too well practised in his craft to be mistaken.  It was a vessel, under more or less canvas, how much he could not then tell, or even see—­but it was most decidedly a vessel.  Mark’s limbs trembled so much that he was compelled to throw himself upon the earth to find the support he wanted.  There he lay several minutes, mentally returning thanks to God for this unexpected favour; and when his strength revived, these signs of gratitude were renewed on his knees.  Then he arose, almost in terror lest the vessel should have disappeared, or it should turn out that he was the subject of a cruel illusion.

There was no error.  There was the little white speck, and he levelled the glass to get a better look at it.  An exclamation now clearly broke from his lips, and for a minute or two the young man actually appeared to be out of his senses.  “The pinnace,” “the Neshamony,” however, were words that escaped him, and, had there been a witness, might have given an insight into this extraordinary conduct.  Mark had, in fact, ascertained that the sail beneath the peak was no other than the little craft that had been swept away, as already described, with Betts in it.  Fourteen months had elapsed since that occurrence, and here it was again, seemingly endeavouring to return to the place where it had been launched!  Mark adopted perhaps the best expedient in his power to attract attention to himself, and to let his presence be known.  He fired both barrels of his fowling-piece, and repeated the discharges several times, or until a flag was shown on board the sloop, which was now just beneath the cliff, a certain sign that he had succeeded.  A musket was also fired from the vessel.

Our young man rather flew than ran to the ravine, down which he went at a pace that several times placed his neck in jeopardy.  It was a very different thing to descend from ascending such a mountain.  In less than a quarter of an hour the half-distracted hermit was in his boat, nearly crazy with the apprehension that he might yet not meet with his friend; for, that it was Bob looking for the Reef and himself, he did not now entertain the least doubt.  The most plausible course for him to adopt was precisely that which he followed.  He pushed off in the Bridget, making sail on the boat, and getting out of the cove in the