Anyhow, we will stick together, come what may.' "As the waves lifted us up, I saw the coast, with its groves of coconuts almost down to the water's edge, and white sheets of surf running up high on the sandy beach.

It was not more than a hundred yards away, and the captain sang out, "'Hurrah! There are some natives coming down.

They will give us a hand.' "Next time we came up on a wave, he said, 'When we get close, Ben, we must cut ourselves adrift from this spar, or it will crush the life out of us; but before we do that, I will tie the two of us together.' "He cut a bit of rope from the raffle hanging from the spar, and tied one end round my waist and the other round his own, leaving about five fathoms loose between us.
"'There,' he shouted in my ear.

'If either of us gets chucked well up, and the natives get a hold of him, the other must come up, too.

Now mind, Ben, keep broadside on to the wave if you can, and let it roll you up as far as it will take you.