before you get a quarter
through I can stop you just where you are, and go ahead and tell the
rest of the story myself."

"That's so," said Harry Covare. "You'll see him do it just as sure
pop as a spread rail bounces the engine."

"Well, then," said the brother-in-law of J. George Watts, "I'll tell
it." And he began:

* * * * *

"It was just two years ago the 1st of this month that I sailed for
South America in the 'Thomas Hyke.'"

At this point the Shipwreck Clerk turned and opened a large book at
the letter T.

"That wreck wasn't reported here," said the other, "and you won't
find it in your book."

"At Anster, perhaps?" said the Shipwreck Clerk, closing the volume
and turning round again.

"Can't say about that," replied the other. "I've never been to
Anster, and haven't looked over their books."

"Well, you needn't want to," said the clerk. "They've got good
accommodations at Anster, and the Registrar has some ideas of the
duties of his post, but they have no such system of wreck reports as
we have here."

"Very like," said the brother-in-law. And he went on with his story.
"The 'Thomas Hyke' was a small iron steamer of six hundred tons, and
she sailed from Ulford for Valparaiso with a cargo principally of
pig-iron."

"Pig-iron for Valparaiso?" remarked the Shipwreck Clerk. And then he
knitted his brows thoughtfully, and said, "Go on."

"She was a new vessel," continued the narrator, "and built with
water-tight compartments; rather uncommon for a vessel of her class,
but so she was. I am not a sailor, and don't know anything about
ships. I went as passenger, and there was another one named William
Anderson, and his son Sam, a boy about fifteen years old. We were
all going to Valparaiso on business. I don't remember just how many
days we were out, nor do I know just where we were, but it was
somewhere off the coast of South America, when, one dark night--with
a fog besides, for aught I know, for I was asleep--we ran into a
steamer coming north. How we managed to do this, with room enough on
both sides for all the ships in the world to pass, I don't know; but
so it was. When I got on deck the other vessel had gone on, and we
never saw anything more of her. Whether she sunk or got home is
something I can't tell. But we pretty soon found that the 'Thomas
Hyke' had some of the plates in her bow badly smashed, and she took
in water like a thirsty dog. The captain had the