party that cut down the first lieutenant. It
was a moonlight night, just as it might be now, in the middle watch, and
Lieutenant Oeldenstrom was sitting aft, near the wheel, humming a tune.
I walked aft, with my cutlass in one hand, and a pistol in the other;
but just as I stepped up the quarter-deck my foot slipped, and the
cutlass fell with a clank on the deck.

"'What's that?' cried the lieutenant.

"'Felborg, sir, mate of the watch,' said I, standing fast where I was.
'It's shoaling fast ahead, sir.'

"'D--n!' said he, 'what a coast!'

"'Could n't you say a bit of something better than that?' said I,
getting nearer to him slowly.

"'What do you mean?' said he, jumping up angrily; but he was scarce on
his legs when he was down again at his full length on the plank, with a
bullet through his brain, never to move again!"

"There, there, avast with that tale; you've told it to me every night
that my heart was heavy this twelvemonth past. But I 've hit on a way to
save the lad,--will you help me?"

"Ay, if my help does n't bring bad luck on him; it always has on every
one I befriended since--since--"

"Never mind that. There 's no risk here, nor much room for luck, good or
bad." He paused a second or two, then added,--

"I 'm thinking we can't do better than shove him ashore on the island
yonder."

"On Anticosti!" said Felborg, with a shudder.

"Ay, why not? There's always a store of biscuit and fresh water in the
log-houses, and the cruisers touch there every six or seven weeks to
take people off. He has but to hoist the flag to show he 's there."

"There's no one there now," said the Dane.

"No. I saw the flag-staff bare yesterday; but what does that matter? A
few days or a few weeks alone are better than what's in store for him
here."

"I don't think so. No! Beym alia Deyvelm! I 'd stand the bullet at three
paces, but I 'd not meet that negro chap alone."

"Oh, he's dead and gone this many a year," said Halkett. "When the
'Rodney' transport was wrecked there, two years last fall, they searched
the island from end to end, and could n't find a trace of him. They were
seven weeks there, and it's pretty clear if he were alive--"

"Ay, just so,--if he were alive!"

"Nonsense, man! You don't believe those yarns they get up to frighten
the boys in the cook's galley?"

"It's scarce mercy, to my reckoning," said Felborg, "to take the lad
from a quick and short fate, and leave him yonder; but if you need