“There, my dear child, I told you so; the brave black has killed the shark, and he will soon have the chest up to us. It will serve as a boat for you,” said Mr Shobbrok.
“But where is Walter? What has become of the raft?” exclaimed Alice, who had hitherto been unaware of her brother’s unhappy condition, and had not noticed that the raft had glided far away from them.
“We must try and overtake Walter as soon as we get you safe on the chest,” answered the mate. “It will be a long swim; but we must hope to get something to support ourselves, for I fear that the chest will not hold us all.”
“Oh, what can have made Walter sail away again?” asked Alice; and then another thought seemed to strike her, as the mate did not immediately answer. “Oh, tell me, Mr Shobbrok,” she exclaimed,—“was the raft drawn down by the whale, and has my dear brother been drowned?”
“The raft is all right, and I hope Walter is on it,” he answered, after a minute’s hesitation. “We may come up with it before long. Don’t think any more about it just now. See Nub; he’s bringing the chest to us,—and a fine large sea-chest it is too, and by-and-by we will open it, and ascertain what it contains. I suspect that it’s a carpenter’s chest; though, as it floats high out of the water, it cannot contain many tools, but it may possibly have some which will be useful to us when we get on shore.”
“When will that be, do you think?” asked Alice.
“There’s no saying exactly, but we will hope for the best,” answered the mate evasively. “See, here comes Nub. He will soon be up with us, and we will then begin our voyage.”
The mate had no little difficulty in speaking; for, strong as he was, the exertion of treading the water so long was very considerable. He was very thankful when at length Nub got up to them.
“Here is de chest,” exclaimed the black. “Now de sooner Missie Alice on de top of it de better.” Fortunately there were several turns of rope round the chest, by means of which Nub held to one side, and the mate balancing it, enabled Alice to climb up on the other. He then told her to lie down along it, exactly in the centre, so that it might be as well balanced as possible. “All right, Missie Alice?” asked Nub, looking up at her while he grasped the rope fastened to the chest; the mate, who required a few minutes’ rest, supporting himself on the other.
“Yes, I feel very secure,” said Alice; “and I only wish that you and Mr Shobbrok could get up and sit on it also.”