in all the agonies of starvation, without a human voice to soothe
his last hours."

"It won't do to give way to such thoughts as those, Holt," observed the
captain, who had no sympathy with the ensign's present state. "Come,
lads, we will bury the poor fellow, as we promised, and when we get
back, I daresay Mrs Morley will speak about the subject. We have no
time to lose, or we shall run the risk of being benighted on the
mountain side."

A shallow grave was dug in the soft earth at the foot of the cliff, and
the melancholy remnant of humanity was lifted into it.

"Poor fellow," said one of the seamen. "You or I, Bill, may come to
this one of these days, though, as Mrs Morley says, it matters little
if we are prepared."

"Come, lads," cried the captain from the top of the cliff, "be quick
now. We must make the best of our way homewards."

The party were tolerably successful in obtaining provisions during the
excursion. The captain killed a hog and a number of birds, and the men,
after a short combat, knocked a seal on the head whom they found
wandering in the woods. The ensign shouldered the hog--fortunately for
him, not a very heavy one--the men having cut up the seal, divided the
pieces between them, and the captain carried the birds; and thus heavily
laden they reached the village soon after nightfall. Before this the
rain had begun to fall in dense showers, and a strong gale was blowing.

They found their friends in considerable anxiety about Harry Shafto and
his party, who had not returned. The next day was Sunday, and he had
promised to be back without fail. A fire was kept burning on the beach,
by the doctor's directions, during the night, to guide his boat into the
bay. Emma and Fanny, who had persuaded their mother to go to bed, sat
up watching anxiously for his return. Frequently they went to the door,
hoping to hear the voices of him and his companions; but the only sound
which reached their ears was the howling of the wind through the
neighbouring trees, and the roar of the surf upon the rocky shore. They
had a good excuse for sitting up, little Bessy being somewhat ill and
restless.

"I trust no accident has happened to Mr Shafto," said Emma, when, after
waiting several hours, Harry did not appear. "His life is of great
consequence to us all."

"It is indeed," sighed Fanny. "Oh, no, no, it would be too dreadful to
think of. But what can have delayed him?"

"The boat may have struc