We hunted for the spring everywhere, traversing the full length of the island (two or three miles), and crossing it twice—­climbing ash-hills patiently, and then sliding down the other side in a sitting posture, plowing up smothering volumes of gray dust.  But we found nothing but solitude, ashes and a heart-breaking silence.  Finally we noticed that the wind had risen, and we forgot our thirst in a solicitude of greater importance; for, the lake being quiet, we had not taken pains about securing the boat.  We hurried back to a point overlooking our landing place, and then—­but mere words cannot describe our dismay—­the boat was gone!  The chances were that there was not another boat on the entire lake.  The situation was not comfortable—­in truth, to speak plainly, it was frightful.  We were prisoners on a desolate island, in aggravating proximity to friends who were for the present helpless to aid us; and what was still more uncomfortable was the reflection that we had neither food nor water.  But presently we sighted the boat.  It was drifting along, leisurely, about fifty yards from shore, tossing in a foamy sea.  It drifted, and continued to drift, but at the same safe distance from land, and we walked along abreast it and waited for fortune to favor us.  At the end of an hour it approached a jutting cape, and Higbie ran ahead and posted himself on the utmost verge and prepared for the assault.  If we failed there, there was no hope for us.  It was driving gradually shoreward all the time, now; but whether it was driving fast enough to make the connection or not was the momentous question.  When it got within thirty steps of Higbie I was so excited that I fancied I could hear my own heart beat.  When, a little later, it dragged slowly along and seemed about to go by, only one little yard out of reach, it seemed as if my heart stood still; and when it was exactly abreast him and began to widen away, and he still standing like a watching statue, I knew my heart did stop.  But when he gave a great spring, the next instant, and lit fairly in the stern, I discharged a war-whoop that woke the solitudes!

But it dulled my enthusiasm, presently, when he told me he had not been caring whether the boat came within jumping distance or not, so that it passed within eight or ten yards of him, for he had made up his mind to shut his eyes and mouth and swim that trifling distance.  Imbecile that I was, I had not thought of that.  It was only a long swim that could be fatal.

The sea was running high and the storm increasing.  It was growing late, too—­three or four in the afternoon.  Whether to venture toward the mainland or not, was a question of some moment.  But we were so distressed by thirst that we decide to try it, and so Higbie fell to work and I took the steering-oar.  When we had pulled a mile, laboriously, we were evidently in serious peril, for the storm had greatly augmented; the billows ran very high and were