at least three or four inches.

"Draught?" questioned Flower, staring at the phenomenon.

The other shook his head. "I'd forgotten those two chaps," he said, in a
low voice; "they've been listening."

Flower shifted in his seat. "I'd trust Joe anywhere," he said, uneasily,
"but I don't know about the other chap. If he starts talking at
Seabridge I'm done. I thought Joe was alone when I sent in for him."

Fraser tapped his chin with his fingers. "I'll try and get 'em to ship
with me. I want a couple of hands," he said, slowly. "I'll have them
under my eye then, and, besides, they're better at Bittlesea than
Seabridge in any case."

He rose noisily, and followed by Flower entered the next bar. Twenty
minutes afterwards Flower bade them all a hearty good-night, and Mr.
Green, walking back to the schooner with Joe, dwelt complacently on the
advantages of possessing a style and address which had enabled them to
exchange the rudeness of Ben for the appreciative amiability of Captain
Fraser.

Flower was punctual to the minute next evening, and shaking hands
hastily with Fraser, who had gone down to the door to wait for him, went
in alone to see Miss Tyrell. Fraser, smoking his pipe on the doorstep,
gave him a quarter of an hour, and then went upstairs, Miss Tyrell
making a futile attempt to escape from the captain's encircling arm
as he entered the room. Flower had just commenced the recital of his
adventures. He broke off as the other entered, but being urged by Miss
Tyrell to continue, glanced somewhat sheepishly at his friend before
complying.

"When I rose to the surface," he said, slowly "and saw the ship drawing
away in the darkness and heard the cries on board, I swam as strongly
as I could towards it. I was weighed down by my clothes, and I had also
struck my head going overboard, and I felt that every moment was my
last, when I suddenly bumped up against the life-belt. I had just
strength to put that on and give one faint hail, and then I think for a
time I lost my senses."

Miss Tyrell gave an exclamation of pity; Mr. Fraser made a noise which
might have been intended for the same thing.

"The rest of it was like a dream," continued Flower, pressing the girl's
hand; "sometimes my eyes were open and sometimes not. I heard the men
pulling about and hailing me without being able to reply. By-and-by that
ceased, the sky got grey and the water brown; all feeling had gone out
of me. The sun rose and burnt in the