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CHAPTER VIIL MRS PAULINA BAKNETT^S EXCURSION. "i^^HE whole morning Hobson and Sergeant Long wandered <Q;^ about the coast. The weather was much improved, the ^^'^^^ rain had ceased, and the wind had veered round to the south-east with extraordinary suddenness, without unfortunately decreasing in violence, causing fresh anxiety to the Lieutenant, who could no longer hope to reach the mainland. The south-east wind would drive the wandering island farther from the continent, and fling it into the dangerous currents, which must drift it to the north of the Arctic Ocean. How could they even be sure that they had really approached the coast during the awful night just over. Might it not have been merely a fancy of the Lieutenant's ? The air was now clear, and they could look round a radius of several miles; yet there was nothing in the least resembling land within sight. Might they not adopt the Sergeant's suggestion, that a ship had passed the island during the night, that the fire and cry were alike signals of sailors in distress ? And if it had been a vessel, must it not have foundered in such a storm % Whatever the explanation there was no sign of a wreck to be seen either in the offing or on the beach, and the waves, now driven along by the wind from the land, were large enough to have over- whelmed any vessel. " Well, Lieutenant," said Sergeant Long, "what is to be done?'* "We must remain upon our island," replied the Lieutenant, pressing his hand to his brow ; " we must remain on our island and wait for winter ; it alone can save us." t was now mid-day, and Hobson, anxious to get back to Fort Hope before the evening, at once turned towards Cape Bathurst. The wind, being now on their backs, helped them along as it had done before. They could not help feeling very uneasy, as they were naturally afraid that the island might have separated into two