He had gone on to ascertain if the cucumber seeds had shown
themselves above-ground, and was pleased to find that they were doing
well. He said to himself, "We have no vinegar, that I know of, but we
can preserve them in salt and water, as they do in Russia; it will be a
change, at all events;" and then he raised his eyes and looked out to
the offing, and, as usual, scanned the horizon. He thought he saw a
ship to the north-east, and he applied his telescope to his eye. He was
not mistaken - it was a vessel.
The old man's heart beat quick; he dropped his telescope on his arm,
and fetched some heavy breaths before he could recover from the effect
of this unexpected sight. After a minute, he again put his telescope to
his eye, and then made her out to be a brig, under top-sails and
top-gallant sails, steering directly for the island.
Ready walked to the rocky point, from which they fished, and sat down
to reflect. Could it be that the vessel had been sent after them, or
that she had by mere chance come among the islands? He decided after a
short time that it must be chance, for none could know that they were
saved, much less that they were on the island.
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