gale unless he was
shipwrecked. He thought Paul's brain had been injured by concussion with
the rocks and a pitying expression came over his face as he said:

"Well, me poor fellow, 'ts no matther where ye're frum. It's me duty to
help ye and yure mates an' if ye'll only tell me phere they air Oi'll
collect the b'ys an' have thim out. Now tell me as calmly as ye can, how
many is drohwned besides yureself?"

Paul saw his mistake and positively assured the guard that he was the
only person to land, and that there had been no wreck and that the
steamer had proceeded on her way to Queenstown. Notwithstanding all his
protestations the coast guard could not realize the situation. The man
before him was, however shipwrecked and in distress, so with the
proverbial hospitality for which the Irish are famous, the guard said:

"Niver moind me lad how ye came ashure. Ye look tired enough. Come in
here an' lay near the fire."

When Paul entered the warm room he removed his uncouth costume. He was
thoroughly worn out buffeting the waves and with his long tramp down the
road, so he gladly accepted the proferred bunk close to the fire and was
soon in a sound sleep from which he was awakened by a kindly voice
saying:

"Here me poor fellow, take this, 't will do ye good."

Before Paul could realize it he had poured a glass of whiskey down his
throat, the strength of which raised every individual hair on his head.
It was then about eight o'clock in the morning and the coast guard house
was full of the villagers, men and women who curiously crowded around
his bunk. They were a wild looking lot. Paul noticed the women
particularly. They looked strong and rosy. They all wore long cloaks
with a hood covering the head, and their feet were naked and as red as a
pigeon's. From the expressions he overheard, he concluded that the
coast-guard man had drawn on his imagination in explaining the
stranger's appearance in the station.

"Did he railly swim from New York?" he heard time and again.

"Oh, thin he's not human if he could do that," and many other
exclamations of like nature greeted the astonished Paul as he drowsily
turned out of the bunk.

The coast-guard man now approached and driving the curious villagers out
of the station, he invited him to breakfast in a little tavern across
the way. The entire village was out. Crowds blocked their way as they
crossed the street. While eating breakfast Paul learned that the