If I could not escape from Island Rock I would inevitably be drowned . I sat down limply on a ledge and tried to look matters fairly in the face . I could not swim ; calls for help could not reach anybody ; my only hope lay in the chance of somebody passing down the shore or of some boat appearing . I looked at my watch . It was a quarter past three . The tide would begin to turn about five , but it would be at least ten before the rock would be covered . I had , then , little more than six hours to live unless rescued . The flat was by this time out of sight around the point . I hoped that the sight of an empty flat drifting down shore might attract someone 's attention and lead to investigation . That seemed to be my only hope . No alarm would be felt at Uncle Richard 's because of my non-appearance . They would suppose I had gone to Uncle Adam 's . I have heard of time seeming long to a person in my predicament , but to me it seemed fairly to fly , for every moment decreased my chance of rescue . I determined I would not give way to cowardly fear , so , with a murmured prayer for help , I set myself to the task of waiting for death as bravely as possible . At intervals I shouted as loudly as I could and , when the sun came to the proper angle for the best view of the `` Hole in the Wall , '' I took the picture . It afterwards turned out to be a great success , but I have never been able to look at it without a shudder . At five the tide began to come in . Very , very slowly the water rose around Island Rock . Up , up , up it came , while I watched it with fascinated eyes , feeling like a rat in a trap . The sun fell lower and lower ; at eight o'clock the moon rose large and bright ; at nine it was a lovely night , dear , calm , bright as day , and the water was swishing over the highest ledge of the rock .
With some difficulty I climbed to the top and sat there XXXXX await the end .
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