eing the announcement in the papers of the "Ione's"
return, be looking out eagerly for him. The corvette had a rapid
passage, and on reaching Portsmouth was at once paid off. Charley
Meadows had written to his father, who was still commander of the
coast-guard station at Longview, giving an account of what had occurred,
and begging him to break the intelligence to Lieutenant Pack. As soon
as he was at liberty he hurried home. One of the first questions he put
on his arrival was, "Have you told them, father, about poor Ned?"

"No; for I only received your letter yesterday, and have been unable to
get over and see our friends. It will be sad news to them. Whenever I
have called on Pack and his sister, their nephew was always the subject
of their conversation."

Charley thus found that, after all, he must be the first to carry the
sad intelligence to his friends. He, however, possessed the most
valuable description of courage; he was morally, as well as physically,
brave. The duty had to be performed, and he resolved to do it
forthwith. As his father could not go, he set out by himself. Now and
then he stopped to consider what he should say, and then hurried on,
wishing to say it at once. Just before he reached Triton Cottage, he
saw Mr Pack coming along the road; the old lieutenant stopped and
looked at Charley as he approached, putting out his hand.

"Glad to welcome you, my lad. I saw that the `Ione' had arrived and was
to be paid off, so was looking out for you; but where is Ned? I thought
you would have come down together."

Now came the moment Charley had dreaded.

"I will tell you how it happened, sir, directly, but Ned is not with us.
I don't believe he is lost, and no one saw him dead; but the Arabs got
hold of him, and he has not since turned up."

"What! hasn't he come home with you?" exclaimed the lieutenant. "You
don't mean to say that our Ned is dead?"

"No, sir; but he's lost, and we don't know what has become of him," and
Charley then gave a full account of all that had occurred.

The old lieutenant listened attentively. "Poor Sally! poor Mary!" he
murmured, as, leaning on Charley's shoulder, he walked back to the
house. "It will well-nigh break their hearts to hear that he is dead,
but I for one won't believe it; I tell you, Meadows, I can't believe
it," his voice growing more husky as he spoke. "I expect to see Ned a
commander before I die; he is sure to get on in the service. Sa