Then came help. A faint speck appeared upon the horizon. The children, when they saw it, flew to the captain, who, they discovered, had been watching it for an hour. It grew larger and larger, not into the shape of a rain cloud, but into the shape of a vessel. Young Conrad guessed the nature of the hope in the captain's eager eyes.
"Might they have food and water for us?" The captain shook his head.
"We cannot tell. They may be as badly off as we are."
The ship came closer and closer, flying, they saw joyfully, the pennant of England. The passengers grew silent and eyes burned and hearts almost ceased to beat. Presently they were able to hear a shout across the smooth sea. It was surely a friendly hail, and still the ship came nearer and nearer. Then the travelers heard, almost unbelieving, the blessed words:—
"We have potatoes and ground beans and dried venison from Her Majesty's colony. Do you wish to buy?"
"Yes," shouted the captain: "all you have."
"We have water, also. Do you need any?"
To this replied a hurrah from every throat on the ship Lyon.