in Death. Another tremendous sea followed, between its crest and the heavens a hand and a portion of the arm was visible, apparently clutching at the clouds, that hand and arm belonged to Boodle; a faint gurgling sound, borne to Harold's ear on the wings of the wind, followed-yet another sea, and all was over. All appeared dark and silent around him.

He then, that youngster, had witnessed the dying struggles of an ignoble crew; lastly, their Commander had passed away. As to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, doubtless they troubled themselves little with the circumstance of the case; to them it may have been a relief, a happy release when they heard of it.

Everything appeared to announce to Harold that his last hour had arrived, and that his life was only spared for a few brief moments in order that he might witness their last agonies; for even if he should by a fluke manage to reach the shore, there was the surf, which threatened him with instantaneous destruction on the rocks, which now showed out black and bold. Then, allowing even that he escaped that danger through the interposition of Providence, the coast was, or appeared to be, precipitous, threatening a lingering death; but luckily for him his presence of mind never forsook him at this his trying time. In spite of the apparently

utter hopelessness of his situation, "Hope," that bright beacon star, flashed across his mind like a meteor; he coolly weighed all chances, for and against, and prepared boldly to struggle hard for that existence which it had pleased God to give him, instead of losing heart, and through that, his chance of safety.

As midshipman of the watch he was enveloped in a huge boat-cloak (for nights and early mornings are chilly times), and this, unfortunately, it became necessary for him to part with-he could not manage to support the weight now that it had become saturated with salt water and heavy; his other garments would have followed suit, but the idea struck him that clothes would serve him as some sort of protection from the angular points of rock.

Under such circumstances it is altogether impossible to enter into a minute calculation as to the flight of time, what has in fact been but a very few moments appears an age. We ourselves, in a short five minutes, have passed through the principal circumstances of life in review order; aye, and more clearly than we could at this present moment in twice as many hours. In minutes at times we live years.

Harold at length got well in among the breakers, and having received many heavy blows, he secured a footing, and scrambled up

above the break of the waves, and there he lay panting, breathless, sore, and almost insensible; then, all immediate cause for violent personal exertion having passed, the accident of the early morning came back to his recollection vividly, and the last piteous cries of the lost, rang in his ears with their full force, and he cried aloud in his anguish, bitterly regretting that he had made no attempt, no matter how useless it might have been, to serve others. Then, stupefied with exertion and batterings in that fearful struggle for life, the wild shriek for Mercy, that had accompanied the sinking ship to the bottom, still rang out in his ears, together with the murmur of rushing waters; Carrol, Lambert, Spareribs, Higgins, even Boodle and Sextant passed before him. Then came the yearning for food not uncommon in favourable cases, and the anxiety for future well-being became dreadful, insupportable; all thought of being the only survivor of such a horrible catastrophe for the moment vanished, to be succeeded by a fearful relapse. There, and with limbs benumbed, he laid a prey to the most distressing feelings it is possible for a man to be harassed by, unless perhaps we except delirium tremens; but then the cases are dissimilar, widely dissimilar.

CHAPTER XIV.

HAROLD remained in his position just above high-water mark all that day and all night, together with a large portion of a second day; his position was dreadful. Boodle's corpse, increased to four times its natural size, had been thrown on shore, the head positively reposing on Harold's knees. Several others were in close proximity, some (as he moved his arms) he constantly touched. Here then was amiserable state of suffering indeed, with no human beings apparently near except dead ones in offensive proximity, and yet deprived of the strength to remove them; he could just move his arms slightly, and found it impossible to raise himself, he was so reduced.

He still survived, but suffered awfully from the pangs of hunger, having nothing whatever to subsist upon. Through all, when conscious, he appeared impressed with the idea that he should overcome all his disasters; felt a strong presentiment that he would again return to Old England; its chalky cliffs would again meet his eye. Ruth was then his guardian angel.

The storm passed away. The sea went down. The sun broke forth and shone brilliantly. Heat was for a time desirable for him, but naturally enough it must not last long, otherwise the effluvia which would arise from the bodies of his poor shipmates would be insupportable.

Suddenly he was aroused by the sound of voices speaking in an unknown tongue, and he was surrounded by a party of men attired variously, but one evidently was acknowledged as their chief. Harold immediately with all his remaining strength gave them to understand that there was a considerable vacuum somewhere, he snapped his teeth like a dying turtle, and speedily a rude sort of flask was applied to his lips by the head man of the party, which had the effect of putting a little life into him.

The bodies of his shipmates were removed from his immediate neighbourhood, and he was once more left alone. As several articles had been washed on shore from the wreck of the brig, the men who had saved his life so far were busily engaged in securing to themselves the plunder, and when all was got together, it formed a pretty considerable heap. They appeared to be well pleased, and laughed and chatted among themselves as though they were the most innocent people in existence, yet they were Pirates, with the curse of the Al