Page:Enterprise and Adventure.djvu/258

230 to reach that part of the island in which she was still in sight. By finding the remains of a sea-elephant that had been recently killed, they ascertained that the crew had been on shore, and they hastened to kindle a fire, but finding they could not attract the attention of those in the vessel from the beach, they proceeded with all haste to ascend a hill in the direction in which she was still steering. Spesinick however became exhausted, partly by fatigue, and partly by his over-excited feelings, and was unable to go any further. Soper went on, but seeing the vessel proceeding, he sunk on the ground in despair. He however again rose, but had to descend into a valley before he could gain another elevated spot to make a signal from. Spesinick, returning to the beach where they had kindled the fire, and to his great joy he saw a boat from the vessel coming on shore. The crew had reached the beach before Spesinick got to it, but his voice had been drowned by the noise of a rookery he had disturbed on the hill. Seeing the fire, the smoke of which had first attracted their attention, they of course were convinced that there were human beings on the island, and had commenced a search. In the meanwhile Spesinick had made for the boat, which they had hauled up out of the surf, and having reached it he clung to it in a fit of desperate joy, which gave him the appearance of a savage maniac; and the crew on returning after what had appeared to them a vain search, found him in such questionable guise, that they hailed him lustily before they approached. Dressed in shaggy fur skins, with cap of the same material, and beard of nearly two years' growth, it was not surprising that they hardly took him for a civilized being.