“I am Walter, and Mr Shobbrok is with me,” he shouted.
“Here, Walter, take the helm,” cried the mate, “but work away on the starboard side; I will get a rope ready to heave to Nub.”
Walter did as directed, and their raft was soon brought up alongside the other, when Nub, having secured the rope hove to him, in his eagerness forgot the difference of their rank, and sprang forward with delight to embrace the old mate. Walter sprang on to the other raft, and quickly had his dear little sister in his arms. They no longer thought of the thunder roaring or the lightning flashing around them as they eagerly recounted to each other their adventures. It seemed for the moment, indeed, that all danger to them was over. They soon, however, inquired of each other news of their father, and the fear that he might be lost, or might be hopelessly searching for them, soon made them feel the reality of their position. Nub in the meantime had told the mate all that had happened on board, and his belief that a large raft had been formed, and that the rest of the people had got away from the ship. He told him also that he had seen nothing of it. It was possible, however, that the captain’s boat might have fallen in with it; and if so, they would certainly have proceeded together towards the land.
“Our poor, poor father! how unhappy he will be at not finding us,” ejaculated Walter and Alice together.
“He will not give up all hopes of your being restored to him; so don’t fret too much about it, my dear Miss Alice,” said the mate, anxious to comfort her. “He will know very well that Nub would not have deserted you; and he will have heard from the people on board that Walter went off with me; and very likely he will guess something like the truth. And not knowing our boat was destroyed, he will fancy that I picked you up, and that we have made our way in a well-found whale-boat towards the shore.”
“I hope he may think so,” answered Alice. “I will try not to be too anxious about him; and perhaps we shall meet each other before long.”
“That’s it, Miss Alice,” said the mate. “Hope for the best. ‘Hope still in God,’ as He Himself in the Bible tells us to do, and don’t be cast down.”
The night had been much further spent than those on the raft supposed. The thunder gradually rolled away to the southward, and soon afterwards the sun arose in the clear sky, shedding a brilliant glare across the water. Directly the light appeared the mate exclaimed, “Now, Walter,—now, Nub, as we have doubled our numbers, we must turn to and increase the size of our raft.”
“As you think best, Mr Shobbrok,” answered Walter.
“Anything you tell me do, I do,” said Nub.