“Yes,” replied a voice, which I knew to be that of Brace, “we’re saved from them anyhow—yonder they go, the cowardly swabs! they don’t catch us, while this breeze lasts—that they don’t.”
To my astonishment I now perceived that Brace and I were alone; and, far in the shadowy darkness, I could just make out the white sail of the raft still scudding away before the breeze!
There was no mystery about it. Brace had cut the ropes that had bound our planks to the raft, and had silently permitted them to drop astern. That was what he had been doing with his knife!
Of course the wind, acting upon the sail, had soon carried the great raft far out of reach, and it was now several hundred yards to leeward of us. The darkness had prevented any of the crew from noting what was passing; but they had at length discovered our escape, as their wild shouts and angry vociferations testified. We could hear them calling us by name, at the same time uttering threats and cries of disappointed rage.
“Don’t fear them any more,” coolly remarked my companion, “can’t reach us with that slow craft—we can row faster than they can swim. But best make sure, however—the farther we’re from ’em the better—lay hold, lad! here’s an oar for you—pull with all your might!”
I took the oar as my companion directed, and commenced rowing. I saw that Brace had another oar—which he had managed to bring away from the raft—and under the two blades our little craft was propelled rapidly through the water. Of course we rowed right into the wind’s eye—for by so doing we took the opposite direction to that in which the crew was carried.
For a long time we continued to hear their wild, hoarse cries behind us; but the voices grew fainter and fainter, as the raft drifted to leeward; and at length we could hear them no more.
We rowed on till morning light; and then resting from our toil, we stood up, and scanned the surface of the sea.
There was no sail in sight—no object of any kind.
The raft had disappeared behind the convex swell of the water;—we were alone upon the ocean!