distinct. But it came nearer, and nearer, and nearer. Yes, the boat was
evidently making for the island.

At last it came so near that my grandfather called out from the end of
the pier,--

'Hollo, Jem! You're late, my lad!'

'Hollo!' said a voice from the boat; but it wasn't Jem's voice.

'Whereabouts is your landing-place?' said the voice; 'it's so thick, I
can't see.'

'Why, Jem isn't there, grandfather!' I said, catching hold of his arm.

'No,' said my grandfather; 'I knew there was something wrong with the
lad.'

He called out to the man in the boat the direction in which he was to
row, and then he and I went down the steps together, and waited for the
boat to come up.

There were four men in the boat. They were sailors, and strangers to me.
One of them, the one whose voice we had heard, got out to speak to my
grandfather.

'Something's wrong,' said my grandfather, before he could begin;
'something's wrong with that poor lad.'

'Yes,' said the man, 'we've got him here; and he pointed to the boat.

A cold shudder passed over me as he said this, and I caught sight of
something lying at the men's feet at the bottom of the boat.

'What's wrong with him? Has he had an accident? Is he much hurt?'

'He's dead,' said the man solemnly.

'Oh dear!' said my grandfather, in a choking voice. 'However shall we
tell his wife? However shall we tell poor Mary?'

[Illustration: 'HOW DID IT HAPPEN?' I ASKED.]

'How did it happen?' I asked at length, as soon as I could speak.

'He was getting a sack of flour on board, over yonder' said one of the
men in the boat, 'and it was awful thick and foggy, and he missed his
footing on the plank, and fell in; that's how it happened!'

'Yes,' said another man, 'and it seems he couldn't swim, and there was
no boat nigh at hand to help him. Joe Malcolmson was there and saw him
fall in; but before he could call any of us, it was all over with him.
We got him out at last, but he was quite gone; we fetched a doctor, and
took him into a house near, and rubbed him, and did all we could; but it
wasn't of no good at all! Shall we bring him in?'

'Wait a bit,' said my grandfather; 'we must tell that poor girl first.
Which of you will go and tell her?'

The men looked at each other and did not speak. At last one of them, who
knew my grandfather a little, said, 'You'd better tell her, Sandy; she
knows you, and she'll bear it better than from strangers; we'll wait
here till you com