e drifting from the wreck; but I did not think
there was very much chance, for she lay some little distance to the
right, and I hardly thought a swimmer could keep off the shore.

Just as I was going to move I saw two of them coming back. They had a
body between them, and they put it down a little distance from the
fire. I was on the other side, and they had forgotten all about me.
They stooped over the figure, and I could not see what they were
doing. I got up and went over, and they gave a start when they saw me.
"Is he alive?" says I. "Dunno," one of 'em growled; and I could see
pretty well that if I had not been there it would have gone hard with
the chap. He was a foreign, Jewish-looking fellow, and had around him
one of the ship's life-buoys. There were lots of rings on his fingers,
and he had a belt round his waist that looked pretty well stuffed out.
I put my hand to his heart, and found he still breathed; and then I
poured a few drops of brandy which remained in my bottle down his
throat.

While I was doing this the two men had talked to each other aside.
"He's alive, all right," says I. "That's a good job," one of 'em said;
but I knew he didn't think so. "We'll carry him up to our cottage.
You'll be all the better for a sleep; it must be past two o'clock by
this time."

They took the chap up, and carried him to the cottage, and put him on
a bed. He was moaning a little, and between us we undressed him and
got him into bed. "I doubt he'll come round," I said.

"I don't believe he will. Will you have a drink of whisky?"

I was mighty glad to do so, and then, throwing off my wet clothes, I
got into the other bed, for there were two in the room.

The men said they were going down again to see what they could get.
They left the whisky bottle on the table, and as soon as I was alone I
jumped out and poured a little into the other chap's teeth, so as to
give him as good a chance as I could; but I didn't much think he'd get
round, and then I got into bed and shut my eyes. I was just going off,
when, with a sudden jump, I sat straight up. Mother's dream came right
across me. I was out of bed in a moment, and looked at the door. There
was no bolt, so I put a couple of chairs against it. Then I took my
clasp-knife out of my pocket and opened it. I gave the other chap a
shake, but there was no sense in him, and I got into bed again. I
thought to myself they would never risk a fight when they saw me armed
and ready.