A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille

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life or death, it is all the same so long as I have you."
Our submersion in the sea and our long exposure afterward had chilled
both of us, but Layelah felt it most. She was shivering in her wet
clothes in spite of my coat which I insisted on her wearing, and I
determined, if possible, to kindle a fire. Fortunately my powder was
dry, for I had thrown off my flask with my coat before jumping into
the sea, and thus I had the means of creating fire. I rubbed wet
powder over my handkerchief, and then gathered some dried sticks and
moss. After this I found some dead trees, the boughs of which were
dry and brittle, and in the exercise I soon grew warm, and had the
satisfaction of seeing a great heap of fagots accumulating. I fired
my pistol into the handkerchief, which, being saturated with powder,
caught the fire, and this I blew into a flame among the dried moss.
A bright fire now sprang up and blazed high in the air; while I, in
order to have an ample supply of fuel, continued to gather it for a
long time. At length, as I came back, I saw Layelah lying on the sand
in front of the fire, sound asleep. I was glad of this, for she was
weary, and had seemed so weak and tremulous that I had felt anxious;
so now I arranged my coat over her carefully, and then sat down for a
time to think over this new turn which my fortune had taken.
This island was certainly very unlike Magones, yet I had no surety but
that it might be equally destitute of food. This was the first
question, and I could not think of sleep until I had found out more
about the place. The aurora light, which constantly brightens and
lessens in this strange world, was now shining gloriously, and I set
forth to explore the island. The beach was of fine sand all the way.
The water was smooth, and shut in on every side by an outer reef
against which the sea-waves broke incessantly. As I walked I soon
perceived what the island was; for I had often seen such places before
in the South Pacific. It was, in fact, a coral islet, with a reef of
rocks encircling it on every side. The vegetation, however, was unlike
anything in the world beyond; for it consisted of many varieties of
tree-ferns, that looked like palms, and giant grasses, and bamboo. The
island was but small, and the entire circuit was not over a mile. I
saw nothing that looked like food, nor did it seem likely that in so
small a place there could be enough sustenance for us. Our only hope
would be from the sea, yet even here I could see no signs of any sort
of shell-fish. On the whole the prospect was discouraging, and I
returned to the starting-point with a feeling of dejection; but this