that time it had grown larger, and had assumed a form which no cloud
could keep so long.

Now his heart beat fast, and all the old longing for escape, and the old
love of life returned with fresh vehemence. This new emotion over-
powered him, and he did not try to struggle with it.

Now had come the day and the hour when all life was in suspense. This
was his first hope, and he felt that it must be his last. Experience had
shown that the island must lie outside the common track of vessels, and,
in the ordinary course of things, if this passed by he could not hope to
see another.

Now he had to decide how to attract her notice. She was still far away,
yet she was evidently drawing nearer. The rock was higher than the mound
and more conspicuous. He determined to carry his signal there, and erect
it somewhere on that place. So he took up the heavy staff, and bore it
laboriously over the sand till he reached the rock.

By the time that he arrived there the vessel had come nearer. Her top-
sails were visible above the horizon. Her progress was very slow, for
there was only very little wind. Her studding-sails were all set to
catch the breeze, and her course was such that she came gradually
nearer. Whether she would come near enough to see the island was another
question. Yet if they thought of keeping a look-out, if the men in the
tops had glasses, this rock and the signal could easily be seen. He
feared, however, that this would not be thought of. The existence of
Coffin Island was not generally known, and if they supposed that there
was only open water here they would not be on the look-out at all.