e asked himself if she had not merely exhibited feminine
ignorance of what their situation meant. He had often seen cases where
apparent bravado was based on such ignorance.

"I must say that you told me at least one truth a while ago--you are not
a coward," he said at last.

She was comforting the wretched cat. "But I am miserably frightened,"
she admitted. "I don't dare to think about the thing. I don't dare
to look at the waves. I talked to you so as to take my mind off my
troubles. I didn't mean to be prying."

"I'll tell you what has been done to me," he blurted. "Hearing
somebody's troubles may take your mind off your own."

While the two men amidships bailed doggedly and weariedly, he told his
story as briefly as he could. The gray dawn showed her face to him after
a time, and he was peculiarly comforted by the sympathy he saw there. He
did not communicate to her any suspicions he may have entertained. With
sailor directness he related how he had hoped, and how all had been
snatched away from him. But on one topic the mouths of both seemed to be
sealed!

After a time Bradish and the cook were enabled to rest from the work of
bailing. The planks of the boat swelled and the leak was stopped.

"You'd better crawl aft here and sit beside Miss Marston," advised Mayo.
"Be careful how you move."

He passed Bradish and took the latter's place with the cook, and felt
a sense of relief; he had feared that the one, the dreaded topic would
force itself upon him.

"I don't see no sense in prolonging all this agony," averred his
despondent companion. "We ain't ever going to get out of this alive.
We're drifting in on the coast, and you know what that means."

"You may jump overboard any time you see fit," said the skipper of the
craft. "I don't need you any longer for bailing!"

"If that's the way you feel about it, you won't get rid of me so easy,"
declared the cook, malevolence in his single eye.

Mayo noticed, with some surprise, that after the two had exchanged a few
words there was silence between Bradish and the girl. The New-Yorker was
pale and trembling, and his jaw still sagged, and he threw glances to
right and left as the surges galloped under them. He was plainly and
wholly occupied with his fears.

When day came at last without rain, but with heavy skies, in which
masses of vapor dragged, Mayo began eager search of the sea. He had
no way of determining their whereabouts; he hoped they were far enough