"Under such circumstances," went on the learned Professor, "further prolongation of vital energy would be simply impossible.

Want of air, want of food, want of courage--" "No, sir!" interrupted Marston quite savagely.

"Want of air, of meat, of drink, as much as you like! But when you speak of Barbican's want of courage, you don't know what you are talking about! No holy martyr ever died at the stake with a loftier courage than my noble friend Barbican!" That night he asked the Captain if he would not sail down as far as Cape San Lucas.

Bloomsbury saw that further search was all labor lost, but he respected such heroic grief too highly to give a positive refusal.

He consented to devote the following day, New Year's, to an exploring expedition as far as Magdalena Bay, making the most diligent inquiries in all directions.
But New Year's was just as barren of results as any of its predecessors, and, a little before sunset, Captain Bloomsbury, regardless of further entreaties and unwilling to risk further delay, gave orders to 'bout ship and return to San Francisco.
The _Susquehanna_ was slowly turning around in obedience to her wheel, as if reluctant to abandon forever a search in which humanity at large was interested, when the look-out man, stationed in the forecastle, suddenly sang out: "A buoy to the nor'east, not far from shore!" All telescopes were instantly turned in the direction indicated.