A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 151: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

148 A QUEER RACE. We are helpless. It is impossible to let go another anchor.” | «That settles the question. Well, if we cannot strug- gle, we may at least hope. Whither are we moving?” «JT don’t know. I have not another lantern. One was broken in the bows; another is at the mizzen-top. ‘The rest must have been taken ashore. I only hope we are not moving toward the island. In that case it won’t be long before the ship is dashed to pieces.” ‘“And if we are moving toward the Painted Rocks it will be still worse.” ‘Perhaps. But we shall be longer in getting there.” ‘‘ We are between Scylla and Charybdis.” «Very much so; and if the cable parts But we may possibly keep on dragging until the wind goes down, and that, I take it, is our sole hope, if you can call it hope.” «At any rate, there is hope; and while hope exists despair would be acrime. J don’t despair; do you?” ‘Tt would be a crime if I did, with such an example of high courage before me.” This was no mere compliment. In truth, she bore herself so bravely, and looked so bright and serene withal, that I could not for very shame allow myself to be discour- aged, although, to tell the truth, I should have been sorry (speaking professionally) to insure the ship or our own lives for a premium of ninety-five per cent. ‘Yon are surely not go:ingon deck again?” she said, as I made toward the companion. ‘* You can do no good, and vou must be very tired. Sit down here and rest awhile.” The queen was right. My presence -on deck just then could serve no useful purpose, so I gladly accepted her invitation; and I was so overcome with excitement and fatigue that I had hardly sat down when I fell fast asleep. I must have slept a long time, for I was awakened by Mab telling me that day was breaking, and suggesting that we had better go on deck. The storm was still raging, the anchor still dragging, and all round was a wild waste of angry water lashed into foam by the fierce and fitful wind. On one side of us lay the island, shrouded in gloom; on the other were faintly Gom C JOO KS (E(0)