ver the waterman I do not know, but,
springing out, he was going to catch hold of the sheep, when his foot
slipped, and in he went between the boat and the hard.

"Go on, sailor, go on," cried the young gentlemen, laughing, while the
waterman, now wet as I was, scrambled out, and, seeing that there was no
use in following, got into his boat. Feeling very much obliged to the
young gentlemen, and sorry I could not stop to thank them again, I
hurried up as fast as I could to my home.

CHAPTER FOUR.

As I walked up the hill towards my cottage many people stopped,
surprised at seeing me dripping wet, carrying a child and leading a
sheep, and asked me all sorts of questions about the wreck; but I would
not delay to answer them, except very briefly, or I should never have
got home. I hoped that Susan would not have heard of the ship going
down, still I half expected to meet her coming to learn if I had
escaped; and I thought of the joy it would be to her to find that I was
alive and well. As I drew near I saw that the cottage door was open;
still Susan did not come out. My heart began to sink within me. I
turned the sheep into the garden, and shut the wicket gate. I did not
mind just then if the poor animal ate up all the flowers and vegetables;
it deserved the best I could give it for the service it had rendered the
little boy in my arms. No one was in the outer room, but I heard
voices, and, opening the door of Susan's room, I saw Mrs Leslie and the
two young ladies, with my sister Jane, standing by Susan's bed. Jane,
catching sight of me, rushed out of the room and threw her arms round my
neck.

"Thank Heaven, you are alive, Ben!" she exclaimed. "It will bring Susan
to; don't be afraid. The captain has gone off for the doctor. She saw
the ship go down, and went off in a faint, thinking that all on board
must be lost. I, fortunately, was with her. The captain, who was
looking through his glass at the time, also saw the ship go over, and
came down at once with the ladies to comfort her, he intending to go off
to Spithead to learn all about the matter, and to hear if you had been
saved. He, however, was first to go round to send up the doctor, and
that was the reason he missed you."

"But, Ben," she asked, "is this the child Susan was telling me about?
And the poor young lady, what has become of her?"

I just told Jane what had happened; but I could not say much, for all
the time I was speaking I felt