Chapter 56

CHAPTER LVI.

JANUARY 27th CONTINUED.--A change came over me as if by miracle.
No longer had I any wish to die, and already Curtis, who had
heard my cries, was throwing me a rope.  I seized it eagerly, and
was hauled up on to the raft, "Fresh water!"  were the first
words I uttered.

"Fresh water?"  cried Curtis, "why then, my friends, we are not
far from land!"

It was not too late; the blow had not been struck, and so the
victim had not yet fallen.  Curtis and Andre (who had regained
his liberty) had fought with the cannibals, and it was just as
they were yielding to overpowering numbers that my voice had made
itself heard.

The struggle came to an end.  As soon as the words "Fresh water"
had escaped my lips, I leaned over the side of the raft and
swallowed the life-giving liquid in greedy draughts.  Miss Herbey
was the first to follow my example, but soon Curtis, Falsten, and
all the rest were on their knees and drinking eagerly, The rough
sailors seemed as if by a magic touch transformed back from
ravenous beasts to human beings, and I saw several of them raise
their hands to heaven in silent gratitude, Andre and his father
were the last to drink.

"But where are we?"  I asked at length.

"The land is there," said Curtis pointing towards the west.

We all stared at the captain as though he were mocking us; no
land was in sight, and the raft, just as ever, was the centre of
a watery waste.  Yet our senses had not deceived us the water we
had been drinking was perfectly fresh.

"Yes," repeated the captain, "land is certainly there, not more
than twenty miles to leeward."

"What land?"  inquired the boatswain.

"South America," answered Curtis, "and near the Amazon; no other
river has a current strong enough to freshen the ocean twenty
miles from shore!"