ound her in his arms. He
managed to slip the lifebelt over her head, and kept her up with one arm
while he kept afloat with the other. She was insensible, but Giles
retained all his wits. He caught a glimpse of the ragged, injured bows
of _The Firefly_ high above him, and saw that Calthorpe was launching a
boat. In a few moments it came plunging towards him, and he was hauled
on board with Anne. Steel was in the boat, ashy pale.

"Is our boat safe?" gasped Giles.

"Yes. But _The Dark Horse_ is going down. Dane has gone overboard."

Suddenly Steel shrieked, and Giles turned to where he pointed. In the
trough of the sea _The Dark Horse_ was plunging like a colt, rolling
like a drunken man. Giles saw Morley; near him Dane with a savage look
on his face. Morley, with terror in his eyes, tried to get away, but
Dane reached him, flung his arms round him, and with a wild shout both
men went down into the furiously bubbling witch-caldron, never to rise
again.

The strain of the whole terrible business was too much for Giles Ware.
For the first and last time in his life he fainted. The last
recollection he had was of seeing the doomed vessel plunging downwards
and a cloud of white steam rising with a terrible roar from her
exploding boilers. After that, darkness and insensibility.

CHAPTER XXVI

THE END OF THE TROUBLE

Giles returned to Rickwell within a week, to find that great changes had
taken place in the place, even in that little while. After the
foundering of _The Dark Horse_, the other yacht had returned to England
forthwith. She had not been very badly damaged by Dane's mad act,
although her bows had been smashed. Calthorpe, indeed, had been on the
point of putting in to the nearest port to refit, but finding that _The
Firefly_ was still seaworthy he held on until he got back to Dover.

Some of the crew of the lost ship had been picked up. As they were all
more or less connected with the Scarlet Cross Society, Steel took charge
of them and conducted them to London. Giles accompanied Anne to her
mother. The Princess Karacsay received her with open arms, and Olga with
many professions of gratitude. "You have undone all the harm I caused,"
said Olga to Giles.

"Oh, that's all right," he replied. "We are friends now?"

"Friends, and nothing more than friends. I am returning to Vienna with
my mother, and have agreed to marry Count Taroc."

Satisfied on this point, Giles went back to Rickwell, leaving Ann