nd soon came near enough to note his
appearance. He wore a long beard, and was dressed in a common
travelling suit.

"Get up, you villain!" said the stranger, as I approached.

Griffin Leeds did not wait for a second command, but sprang to his
feet. He looked at me, and he saw that I had a gun in my hand. I aimed
at him.

"Take your hand from your pocket!" I called to him.

He did so; but the stranger sprang upon him again. Putting his hand
into the side-pocket of his sack-coat, he drew from it a small
revolver. Not satisfied with this, he continued the search, and took
from another pocket a knife like that the wretch had attempted to use
on board of the Sylvania. He was then satisfied that the fellow was
entirely disarmed.

"I am exceedingly obliged to you for the service you have rendered me,"
I began. "This is not the first trouble I have had with this----"

"Never mind that, my dear Alick," interposed my deliverer.

Before I had an opportunity to look at him again, he had folded me in
his arms as though I were a little girl, instead of a strapping big
boy, weighing one hundred and fifty. I had no need to conjecture any
longer who my deliverer was. It was my father.

The tears rolled down his cheeks, as they did down mine when I saw
them. But he was hardly changed since I last saw him. I was so happy at
this reunion that I forgot everything else. I dare say we both indulged
in exclamations. While we were using them, Griffin Leeds began to move
off. I pointed my gun at him.

"Go to that magnolia, and stand on this side of it: and if you attempt
to run away, I will shoot you!" I added; but I don't think I meant half
of it.

The octoroon doggedly obeyed. I looked at my father, whom I had
supposed to be dead for months of the period that had separated us. He
had been to England and to India since we parted. I had roamed
thousands of miles, believing all the time that I was earning my daily
bread.

"We meet at last!" exclaimed my father. "I find you in deadly peril,
and come at the moment when I may save you!"

"I was shot at before to-day; and I am afraid I have a traitor on
either hand wherever I go;" and I explained in as few words as possible
about Cornwood and Griffin Leeds, expressing my belief that the pilot
was the agent of Captain Boomsby.

"That old villain still believes I am dead," replied my father. "I went
into his saloon in Jacksonville, but he did not know me. I talked about
you; and he s