After a time he noticed that the tide was going down, and the area of the ledge was evidently enlarging.  This inspired hope, for he thought that perhaps some long shoal might be disclosed by the retreating tide, which might communicate with the main land.  For this he now watched intently, and occupied himself with measuring the distance from the rock where his boat was tied.  Doing this from time to time, he found that every little while the number of paces between the rock and the water’s edge increased.  This occupation made the time pass rapidly; and at last Tom found his stopping-place extending over an area of about a hundred yards in length, and half as many in breadth.  The rocks at one end had increased in apparent size, and in number; but the ledge itself remained unchanged in its general character.

This, he saw, was its extreme limit, beyond which it did not extend.  There was no communication with any shore.  There was no more indication now of land than when he had first arrived.  This discovery was a gradual one.  It had been heralded by many fears and suspicions, so that at last, when it forced itself on his convictions, he was not altogether unprepared.  Still, the shock was terrible, and once more poor Tom had to struggle with his despair—­a despair, too, that was all the more profound from the hopes that he had been entertaining.  He found, at length, in addition to this, that the tide was rising, that it was advancing towards his resting-place, and that it would, no doubt, overflow it all before long.  It had been half tide when he landed, and but a little was uncovered; at full tide he saw that it would all be covered up by the water,—­sea weed, rocks, and all,—­and concealed from human eye.

In the midst of these painful discoveries there suddenly occurred to him the true name and nature of this place.

Quaco Ledge!

That was the place which Captain Corbet had described.  He recalled now the full description.  Here it lay before him; upon it he stood; and he found that it corresponded in every respect with the description that the captain had given.  If this were indeed so, and the description were true,—­and he could not doubt this,—­how desperate his situation was, and how he had been deceived in his false hopes!  Far, far away was he from any shore!—­in the middle of the bay; on a place avoided by all—­a place which he should shun above all other places if he hoped for final escape!

And now he was as eager to quit this ill-omened place as he had once been to reach it.  The tide was yet low.  He tried to push the boat down, but could not.  He saw that he would have to wait.  So he got inside the boat, and, sitting down, he waited patiently.  The time passed slowly, and Tom looked despairingly out over the water.  Something attracted his attention.  It was a long pole, which had struck against the edge of the shoal.  He got out of the boat, and, securing it, he walked