sel that
strained at its anchor. It animated the curious crowd on the jetty
who had come, some of them, to catch a last look of some dear face. It
animated the fishing-boats, whose sails were spread for a night of toil.

Jack, with his empty basket at his feet, stood looking down at the
passengers,--those belonging to the cabins comfortably established,
those of the steerage seated on their slender luggage. Where were they
going? What wild fancy took them away? What cold and stern reality
awaited them on their landing? One couple interested him especially:
it was a mother and a child who recalled to him the memory of Ida and
little Jack. The lady was young and in black, with a heavy wrap thrown
about her, a Mexican sarape with wide stripes. She had a certain air of
independence characteristic of the wives of military or naval officers,
who, from the frequent absence of their husbands, are thrown on their
own resources. The child, dressed in the English fashion, looked as if
he might have belonged to Lord Pembroke. When they passed Jack they both
turned aside, and the long silk skirts were lifted that they might not
touch his blackened garments. It was an almost imperceptible movement,
but Jack understood it. A rough oath and a slap on the shoulder
interrupted his sad thoughts.

"What the deuce are you up here for, sir? Go down to your post!" It
was the engineer making his rounds. Jack went down without a word,
humiliated at the reproof.

As he put his foot on the last ladder, a shudder was felt throughout the
ship: she had started.

"Stand there!" said the head stoker.

Jack took his place before one of those gaping mouths; it was his duty
to fill it, and to rake it, and to keep the fire clear. This was not
such an easy matter, as, being unaccustomed to the sea, the pitching
of the vessel came near throwing him into the flames. He nevertheless
toiled on courageously, but at the end of an hour he was blind and deaf,
stifled by the blood that rushed to his head. He did as the others
did, and ran to the outer air. Ah, how good it was! Almost immediately,
however, an icy blast struck him between the shoulders.

"Quick, give me the brandy!" he cried with a choked voice, to the man
who had previously offered it to him.

"Here it is, comrade; I knew very well that you would want it before
long."

He swallowed an enormous draught; it was almost pure alcohol, but he was
so cold that it seemed like water. After a moment