art in the wreck, hadn't you? What was it?"

"I didn't have no part in it, bless you," replied Jack, with grim humor,
"it did itself."

"Clever tar!" exclaimed Mr. Slade, in mock admiration, inwardly resolved
to conciliate the man, if possible, by letting him have his own way for
a while. "Well, I was on the wrong tack, as you sailors would say. Now,
to start fair, can you tell me what happened after the first shock of
the shipwreck was over? Which of the children did you pick up first?"

"Sorry I can't oblige you," said Jack; "but you see it was night, and,
besides, I'd forgot my specs."

"Have you any recollection whatever on that point, Jack?" asked Mr.
Reed, though he well knew what the answer must be.

"No, sir," replied Jack, respectfully; but instantly throwing a tone of
pathetic appeal into his voice: "Why, Capt'n, look a' here! It's hard
seein' any diff'rence between young babbies in broad sunlight and a
smooth sea; but down in the ragin' waves, an' in the night time, now?
It ain't in reason."

Mr. George nodded, and Slade, after thinking a moment, asked mildly:

"Did you happen to know any of the passengers, Jack?"

"When a cove hails from the fo'castle, your honor, he ain't apt to be
over intimate in the cabins; but I knew one lady aboard, if I do say
it."

"Ah," exclaimed Eben Slade, "now we have it! You knew one lady aboard.
_Which_ of the ladies was this?"

"It was the stewardess, sir, and she was drownded."

"And you knew no other lady, eh?"

"Can't say, sir. Opinions differ as to knowin'; what some might call
bein' acquainted another might call otherwise," said Jack, with a
scrape, and a light touch at his forelock.

"Right!" pursued Eben Slade. "Now did you happen to be 'acquainted, or
otherwise,' with either Mrs. Reed or Mrs. Robertson?"

"I was 'otherwise,' your honor, with every lady on the ship, exceptin'
the party I told you was drownded."

"Then you didn't know Mrs. Reed and Mrs. Robertson apart, am I to
understand?" asked Slade, sharply.

"Can't say, sir. Never saw 'em apart."

"Ah! They were always together, then; now we're getting it. Could you
tell which was the mother of the twins?"

"_Could_ I tell which was the mother of the twins? I didn't know half
the passengers from t'other half, let alone knowin' which babby
belonged to which mother. Why, man, boxin' the compass back'ard would be
nothin' compared to that. All I can tell you is we was 'most all hove
out into the s