ccount to give of him,
however, and at once generously informed Captain Falkner that it was to
his nerve and courage that he himself owed his life.

The Frenchmen were removed on board the frigate, and an English prize
crew being placed on board each of the prizes, they and their captor
steered a course for Jamaica. Captain Falkner offered to place Denham
in command of one of the prizes, but his anxiety for young Lord Fitz
Barry made him beg that he might be allowed to remain on board the
frigate.

A considerable time had passed since the arrival of the _Cynthia_ on the
station. A season dreaded by all navigators of those seas was now
approaching--the hurricane season. Fearful is the devastation often
produced on shore and on the ocean at that period. Not many years
before several line of battle ships and other vessels had either
foundered with their crews, or had been driven on shore, where the
larger number of the men belonging to them had perished. Captain
Falkner was anxious, therefore, to get back without delay to Port Royal
harbour. They were, however, within a couple of days' sail of Jamaica
when the frigate was becalmed; during the middle of the day, although a
thick mist overspread the sky and hid the rays of the sun, the heat was
excessive. Below the ship was like an oven, on deck not a breath of air
was to be obtained. The men, in their white shirts and trousers, moved
languidly about, literally gasping for breath. The sails hung uselessly
down against the masts, and the frigate's head went slowly round and
round, now pointing in one direction and now in another, though it was
difficult to say by what power she was moved.

The heat affected young Barry greatly. Denham sat by his side whenever
he could leave his duty on deck, anxiously watching his friend. Ned
Davis also came where the wounded midshipman lay, and begged that he
might be allowed to take Denham's place by his side. It was curious to
observe how Denham had won the lad's affection and admiration. There
seemed to have been no previous tie between them; they had met, it was
understood, for the first time as shipmates on board the merchantman
from which they had volunteered, and it was possible neither of them
knew much about each other's previous history. No nurse could have
administered the medicine prescribed by the doctor with more care and
regularity than did Denham and his volunteer assistant.

"I hope I shall not die," said F