itation; while the entire
crew, apparently, shouting to each other excitedly, were grouped upon
the stern grating. The brig had been luffed into the wind, and
everything, including studding-sails, was flat aback. It was well for
the craft, and all concerned, that the wind had fallen light, or there
would have been mischief up aloft, and plenty of wreckage among the
lighter spars.

"What in the world is the matter, Chips?" demanded Leslie testily, as
with a single glance he took in the full condition of affairs.

"Oh, Mr Leslie, sir, something awful has just happened!" exclaimed the
man addressed, stammering with agitation and excitement. "I were
standin' as it might be just there," pointing to a spot on the deck
about midway between the skylight and the mainmast, "fillin' my pipe,
when out of the corner of my heye I seen somebody step out of the
companion on deck; and fust of all I thought 'twas you; but, lookin'
again, I see as it was the skipper--not Cap'n Potter, you'll understand,
sir, he bein' dead and buried; but Cap'n Purchas. I were just goin' up
to him to say how glad I were to see 'im about again, when he steps over
to the binnacle, takes a peep into the compass-bowl, and then, afore a
man could say `Jack Robinson,' up he jumps on to the starn gratin', from
there to the taffrail--an' overboard! Scotty, there, who was at the
wheel, owns that he more'n half guessed, from the queer look in the
skipper's heyes, that somethin' was wrong, and made a grab at 'im as 'e
passed; but Mr Purchas were miles too quick for 'im, and Scotty on'y
reached the taffrail in time to see the pore man strike the water. And
the next second that devil of a shark that have been followin' of us had
'im!"

Leslie reeled as though he had been struck a heavy blow. Here was
another tragedy; the second that had happened within the short space of
time that had elapsed since he had joined this unlucky brig. And even
as he had blamed himself for being in some sort responsible for the
first, so now he reproached himself as being in a measure responsible
for this. He felt that he had been remiss. In his anxiety to shield
the unhappy man from the observation and unfavourable comment of the
crew, he had carefully concealed from everybody the true cause of
Purchas's retirement, leaving the man alone to recover from his drunken
bout instead of telling off somebody to watch him. Had he done this, he
reflected in self-reproach, this dreadfu