o life to deceive the first fool
that takes her fancy. I turned to the man, a common sailor evidently,
brawny and bearded. The mate was by his side, and together we did what
we could to nourish the spark of life that kept the pulse feebly
fluttering in the big brown wrist. It was afternoon when these two waifs
were found, and all night we fought with death. Now Uncle John says that
he thinks that they will live. Neither of them has spoken, but each has
taken a little nourishment and the pulse shows gaining strength. Captain
Raymond has turned his cabin over to the woman, and as I write uncle is
sitting by her side. For the time he has forgotten his wonderful
explosive. The old professional air has come back, and he is like the
Dr. Hartley of the days before he gave up medicine for chemical
investigation. The question continually repeats itself to me, What has
brought this woman here? Reason as I may, I feel, I know, that she has
come to me; to me who was happy in the thought of not seeing her kind
for months. Another question asks itself, Has she come for good or ill?
There can be but one answer to that question.

March 13.--The sailor whom we rescued gains strength fast. He was able
to talk a little to-day. Briefly told, his story, as far as I got it, is
that he was one of the crew of the _Vulture_, bound from England to
India with army stores and arms, including a large consignment of
powder. One day, he can't say how many days ago, the ship caught fire in
the hold. There were frantic and unavailing efforts made to get at the
flames and extinguish them; and then the order was given to flood the
hold, but before it could be executed there was a tremendous roar, and
the sailor knew nothing else until he found himself in the water
clinging to a fragment of the wreckage that strewed the sea. The ship
had been blown up and had sunk at once. Not far from him floated one of
the quarter-boats apparently uninjured. He managed to swim to it, and
clamber in. There he was able to stand up and look around him. At first
he could see no sign of life, but in another moment he heard a faint cry
behind him, and, turning, saw a woman clinging to a broken spar. With a
bit of broken board he paddled to her and got her into the boat. Like
himself, she was unharmed, save by the awful shock and fright. He
paddled around and around, but saw no further sign of life. Once a man's
body rose near the boat; rose slowly, turned, and sank again, and