nd fell upon Clayton. Like a wild
beast his teeth sought the throat of his intended prey, but Clayton,
weak though he was, still found sufficient strength to hold the
maniac's mouth from him.

At Jane Porter's scream Monsieur Thuran and Spider awoke. On seeing
the cause of her alarm, both men crawled to Clayton's rescue, and
between the three of them were able to subdue Wilson and hurl him to
the bottom of the boat. For a few minutes he lay there chattering and
laughing, and then, with an awful scream, and before any of his
companions could prevent, he staggered to his feet and leaped overboard.

The reaction from the terrific strain of excitement left the weak
survivors trembling and prostrated. Spider broke down and wept; Jane
Porter prayed; Clayton swore softly to himself; Monsieur Thuran sat
with his head in his hands, thinking. The result of his cogitation
developed the following morning in a proposition he made to Spider and
Clayton.

"Gentlemen," said Monsieur Thuran, "you see the fate that awaits us all
unless we are picked up within a day or two. That there is little hope
of that is evidenced by the fact that during all the days we have
drifted we have seen no sail, nor the faintest smudge of smoke upon the
horizon.

"There might be a chance if we had food, but without food there is
none. There remains for us, then, but one of two alternatives, and we
must choose at once. Either we must all die together within a few
days, or one must be sacrificed that the others may live. Do you quite
clearly grasp my meaning?"

Jane Porter, who had overheard, was horrified. If the proposition had
come from the poor, ignorant sailor, she might possibly have not been
so surprised; but that it should come from one who posed as a man of
culture and refinement, from a gentleman, she could scarcely credit.

"It is better that we die together, then," said Clayton.

"That is for the majority to decide," replied Monsieur Thuran. "As
only one of us three will be the object of sacrifice, we shall decide.
Miss Porter is not interested, since she will be in no danger."

"How shall we know who is to be first?" asked Spider.

"It may be fairly fixed by lot," replied Monsieur Thuran. "I have a
number of franc pieces in my pocket. We can choose a certain date from
among them--the one to draw this date first from beneath a piece of
cloth will be the first."

"I shall have nothing to do with any such diabolical plan," m