nce. Knowing what he did of the latter vessel's
sailing powers, Captain Spence could only conclude that after the
_Flying Cloud_ had parted company with him in the Atlantic, she must
have met with a streak of foul wind or light airs which his own ship had
happily avoided; but when a week later still, the _Flying Cloud_ had not
arrived, the exultation which the honest skipper had at first
experienced was converted into a feeling of incipient anxiety, which
increased as time went on without any appearance of his rival. The
_Southern Cross's_ cargo was slow in coming alongside; but, nevertheless
when she was loaded, and her hatches put on, and she finally went to sea
on her homeward voyage, the _Flying Cloud_ was still numbered among the
non-arrivals. And when, after a long passage home, the _Southern Cross_
arrived in London, and Captain Spence had time to inquire after his old
friend, Blyth, he was not only surprised, but deeply grieved to hear
that no intelligence of his arrival in Melbourne had up to that date
been received.

But there were others even more interested than Captain Spence in the
fate of the _Flying Cloud_, and these were by this time anxiously
watching the columns of the "Shipping Gazette" for tidings of the ship.
They came at last, in the shape of the following paragraph:--

MISSING VESSEL.

"The following vessel, previously referred to as overdue, was on
Wednesday posted at Lloyd's as missing:--

"The ship _Flying Cloud_ (Blyth, master), which left London for
Melbourne on ---, and which afterwards picked up the derelict barque
_Umhloti_, of Aberdeen, and sent her into port."

CHAPTER TWELVE.

MR. GAUNT GOES ON AN EXPLORING EXPEDITION.

It is now time to return to the little party of passengers, who, it will
be remembered, were left in a situation which was certainly the reverse
of pleasant.

Mr Gaunt, whose profession peculiarly adapted him to cope with such
difficulties as those which now environed the party, at once naturally
took the lead and assumed the direction of affairs--a position which Dr
Henderson most willingly accorded him, counting himself indeed fortunate
in being thus associated with a man of such infinite resource as the
engineer. In their present state, the first thing to be done was to
provide a shelter for the helpless women and children of the party; and
no sooner was the boat's cargo discharged upon the beach and conveyed in
safety above high-water-mark than was