t strength, the inborn sense of direction. There is only one thing
that can destroy this, and that is fear, hence the necessity of a stout
little heart between those noble wings.

Arnaux, with two of his order, in course of training, had been shipped
on an ocean steamer bound for Europe. They were to be released out of
sight of land, but a heavy fog set in and forbade the start. The
steamer took them onward, the intention being to send them back with
the next vessel. When ten hours out the engine broke down, the fog
settled dense over the sea, and the vessel was adrift and helpless as a
log. She could only whistle for assistance, and so far as results were
concerned, the captain might as well have wigwagged. Then the Pigeons
were thought of. Starback, 2592 C, was first selected. A message for
help was written on waterproof paper, rolled up, and lashed to his
tail-feathers on the under side. He was thrown into the air and
disappeared. Half an hour later, a second, the Big Blue Corner-box,
2600 C, was freighted with a letter. He flew up, but almost immediately
returned and alighted on the rigging. He was a picture of pigeon fear;
nothing could induce him to leave the ship. He was so terrorized that
he was easily caught and ignominiously thrust back into the coop.

Now the third was brought out, a small, chunky bird. The shipmen did
not know him, but they noted down from his anklet his name and number,
Arnaux, 2590 C. It meant nothing to them. But the officer who held him
noted that his heart did not beat so wildly as that of the last bird.
The message was taken from the Big Blue. It ran:

10 A.M., Tuesday.

We broke our shaft two hundred and ten miles out from New York; we are
drifting helplessly in the fog. Send out a tug as soon as possible. We
are whistling one long, followed at once by one short, every sixty
seconds.

(Signed) THE CAPTAIN.

This was rolled up, wrapped in waterproof film, addressed to the
Steamship Company, and lashed to the under side of Arnaux's middle
tail-feather.

When thrown into the air, he circled round the ship, then round again
higher, then again higher in a wider circle, and he was lost to view;
and still higher till quite out of sight and feeling of the ship. Shut
out from the use of all his senses now but one, he gave himself up to
that. Strong in him it was, and untrammelled of that murderous despot
Fear. True as a needle to the Pole went Arnaux now, no hesitation, no
doubts