ance
to it now forced itself upon his attention; it was the swishing of
water; and, looking over the edge of his bunk he saw that water was
already rising fast over the floor of the cabin. Desperation now lent
him strength, and, pulling himself together with a violent effort, he
slowly and painfully rose upright and put his legs over the edge of the
berth. He felt incapable of making any further effort for the moment.

Then once more he raised his voice and shouted for help, and this time
he fancied that far away in the distance he heard a reply. He shouted
again and again; then paused, listening.

The answering voice sounded a little nearer.

At that moment the ship gave another roll, and to Roger it seemed as
though she must founder immediately.

There was another sickening lurch, and Roger, convinced that the end had
come, went tumbling off the edge of his bunk, and fell flat on his face
in about two feet of water which was washing over the cabin floor. The
shock of the fall displaced his bandages; his wound began to bleed
afresh; and, confused as he still was, the idea took possession of him
that he was in danger of bleeding to death.

Would nobody ever come to take him out of this awful hole? "Help, help,
I am drowning!" he shouted.

But this time there was no answering voice.

Then Roger once more pulled himself together and began to crawl over the
floor, the water splashing round and over him. Inch by inch he neared
the door, and then he heard a call, so near that it startled him.

"For Heaven's sake, where are you, Roger? Answer, man, if you are
alive." The voice was Harry's.

"Harry," groaned Roger, "here I am; help me quickly or you will be too
late; the ship sinks fast!"

Guided by the voice, Harry soon made his appearance.

"Roger, man," he cried, "thank God I have found you! I thought you were
gone for ever. Can you help yourself at all, lad?"

"A little, I think, if you will put your arm round me," replied Roger.

Harry flung his arm under Roger's arm-pits and raised him to his feet.

"One moment, Harry," cried Roger, pointing to the papers which Alvarez
had left on the floor, and which were now floating about the cabin;
"secure these papers; I believe they are of value."

Harry seized the documents with his free hand, and, supporting Roger,
staggered with him to the foot of the companion-ladder. How they
eventually got up into the free air the two never clearly knew, for they