eam of shouts, oaths, and muttered fragments of
dialogue with imaginary persons. Sympathy for the sufferer he felt,
of course, and yet he, as well as Dr. Parker and old Capen, had heard
enough to realize that the world would be none the worse for losing this
particular specimen of humanity. The fellow had undoubtedly lived a hard
life, among the roughest of companions afloat and ashore. Even Ebenezer,
who by his own confession, was far from being a saint, exclaimed
disgustedly at the close of a day's watching by the sick bed: "Phew! I
feel's if I'd been visiting state's prison. Let me set out doors a spell
and listen to the surf. It's clean, anyhow, and that critter's talk
makes me want to give my brains a bath."

The wooden clock, loaned by Mrs. Parker, the doctor's wife, ticked
steadily, although a half hour slow. Ellery, glancing at it to see if
the time had come for giving medicine, suddenly noticed how loud its
ticking sounded. Wondering at this, he was aware there was no other
sound in the house. He rose and looked in at the door of the adjoining
room. The patient had ceased to rave and was lying quiet on the bed.

The minister tiptoed over to look at him. And, as he did so, the man
opened his eyes.

"Halloo!" he said faintly. "Who are you?"

Ellery, startled, made no answer.

"Who are you?" demanded the man again. Then, with an oath, he repeated
the question, adding: "What place is this? This ain't the fo'castle.
Where am I?"

"You're ashore. You've been sick. Don't try to move."

"Sick? Humph! Sick? 'Course I been sick. Don't I know it? The d--n
cowards run off and left me; blast their eyes! I'll fix 'em for it one
of these days, you hear--"

"Sshh!"

"Hush up yourself. Where am I?"

"You're ashore. On Cape Cod. At Trumet."

"Trumet! TRUMET!"

He was struggling to raise himself on his elbow. Ellery was obliged to
use force to hold him down.

"Hush! hush!" pleaded the minister, "you mustn't try to--"

"Trumet! I ain't. You're lyin'. Trumet! Good God! Who brought me here?
Did she--Is she--"

He struggled again. Then his strength and his reason left him
simultaneously and the delirium returned. He began to shout a name, a
name that caused Ellery to stand upright and step back from the bed,
scarcely believing his ears.

All the rest of that night the man on the bed raved and muttered, but of
people and places and happenings which he had not mentioned before. And
the minister, listening intently