the gale increasing, and the ship out of sight. Here, some one
get some brandy or rum. Ah, Belton!" he whispered, with the tears in
his eyes, "such a good fellow, and I'm afraid it's all over."

Syd heard this as if in a dream, as a deathly feeling of sickness came
over him, and there floated before his eyes a scene in a grand old
beech-wood near home, with a group of men standing round, helplessly as
these were, the sun shining down like a silver shower through the
branches, beneath which was a doctor's gig and a man in a smock frock
holding the horse's head. There on the moss, where scattered white
chips shone out clearly, lay a fine, well-built young man close by the
trunk of a tree which he had been helping to fell, but had not got out
of the way soon enough, and the trunk had crushed his legs.

The scene died away, and he was gazing down again at the unfortunate
lieutenant instead of at the woodman, with the doctor on his knee and a
boy by his side; and as the deathly sickness passed off he was brought
more to himself by hearing the haughty domineering voice of Terry.

"Stand away, some of you--all of you!" he cried. "Mr Belton, do you
hear me? Go away, sir; you are keeping the air from the wounded man."

Accustomed to obey, fresh ashore from the ship where the discipline was
of the strictest, Syd drew back; but as he did so a hysterical sob burst
from his throat, and he stepped forward again.

"Confound you, sir! do you hear me?" cried Terry. "I am in command now.
Stand back, or I'll put you under arrest."

As he advanced threateningly, Roylance touched Syd's sleeve.

"Don't make a row now, for poor Dallas's sake. Look! He's dying."

Syd looked at him quickly, and then turned back to face Terry, as he
said in a dreamy way--"Is there no help?"

"Will you stand back, sir?"

"No doctor? No one who understands--"

"Here, bo'sun--Strake; seize Mr Belton, and take him away."

No one stirred, but a murmur ran round the group as with a bitter cry of
agony Syd stepped forward so quickly that Terry drew back, expecting a
blow. But the lad did not even see him, and he was in the act of
sinking on his knees to take the lieutenant's hand, when his eyes rested
on the piece of sail-cloth thrown tightly over the injured man's legs,
where a ruddy patch of blood was slowly spreading.

"He's bleeding to death," he cried excitedly; and a change seemed to
come over the boy, as he bent down and quickly drew away