owder and ball. Come along,
now, or shall I carry you up the ladder?"

"No, I'm able enough now," said I, making an effort to seem free from
pain while I stepped up on deck.

I was not prepared for the affectionate leave-taking which met me here;
each of the crew shook my hand twice or thrice over, and there was not
one did not press upon me some little gift in token of remembrance.

At last the boat was lowered, and Halkett and three others, descending
noiselessly, motioned to me to follow. I stepped boldly over the side,
and, waving a last good-bye to those above, sat down in the stern to
steer, as I was directed.

It was a calm night, with nothing of a sea, save that rolling heave ever
present in the Gulf-stream; and now the men stretched to their oars, and
we darted swiftly on, not a word breaking the deep stillness.

Although the island lay within six miles, we could see nothing of it
against the sky, for the highest point is little more than twelve feet
above the water-level.

I have said that nothing was spoken as we rowed along over the dark and
swelling water; but this silence did not impress me till I saw ahead of
us the long low outline of the dreary island shutting out the horizon;
then a sensation of sickening despair came over me. Was I to linger
out a few short hours of life on that melancholy spot, and die at last
exhausted and broken-hearted? "Was this to be the end of the brilliant
dream I had so often revelled in?" "Ah, Con!" said I, "to play the game
of life, a man must have capital to stand its losses,--its runs of evil
fortune; but you are ruined with one bad deal!"

"Run her in here, in this creek!" cried Halkett to the men; and the boat
glided into a little bay of still water under the lee of the land, and
then, after about twenty minutes' stout rowing, her keel grated on the
rugged, shingly shore of Anticosti.

"We cannot land you dry-shod, Con," said Halkett; "it shoals for some
distance here."

"No matter," said I, trying to affect an easy, jocular air, my choking
throat and swelling heart made far from easy; "for me to think of wet
feet would be like the felon at the drop blowing the froth off the
porter because it was unwholesome!"

"I 've better hopes of you than that comes to, lad!" said he; "but
good-bye! good-bye!" He shook my hand with a grasp like a vice, and sat
down with his back towards me; the others took a kind farewell of me;
and then, shouldering my little bag of bis