the upright body of a young woman in her nightdress. Her
hair floated around her head like golden sea-weed as it came forward and
fell against the glass face-piece of his armour. For a moment he was
paralyzed with the shock, but, he quickly regained his nerves, and
gently placing his arm around the dead body, he reverently bore it to
the deck. Her hands were clasped as though in last supplication to the
great power above, while her eyes protruded with terror at the fate she
had met. Hastily signaling those above to lower a line, he laid the body
carefully against the shattered rigging while he went to grasp the
rope. Passing it under her arms and putting two secure half hitches on
it, he signaled again to haul away. It gently ascended through the
clear water, while a school of fish played around her as though sorry to
see her go. Paul followed after and found all on deck solemn and
silent, while the captain's good-natured wife was in the cabin wrapping
the corpse in a sheet. That night a rude coffin was made in which the
remains were placed and the schooner headed for Sisal, where she sailed
in with her flag at half-mast. The father faithfully paid the promised
reward and the schooner under charter, returned to resume her work at
the wreck. Out of this job the captain and Paul made about nine hundred
dollars each.

A cruise was then made around the Gulf of Campechie which was most
successful. The catch was landed at Vera Cruz whence it was shipped to
New York. Sometime before this, Paul had informed his father of the
changed condition of his contract with Captain Balbo and requested
him to forward the captain's one-half of the proceeds of the goods
shipped. At Vera Cruz they found letters, one containing a robust check
for Captain Balho, which so pleased that worthy individual, that he
determined to spend at least one week ashore and enjoy hotel quarters
for which he had a weakness. The gamblers, who abound in Vera Cruz,
found a rich victim in the captain, who parted with all the money he
could conceal from the watchful eyes of his wife, Betsy, with the
guilelessness of a boy ten years old.

A cruise was now made along the coast of Mexico; but the collection of
curiosities did not pay for the time engaged, so they concluded to
abandon it and stand away again to the islands. At Tuxpan, where they
landed for fresh water, they received information of a steamer that had
been burned and sunk nea