felt
myself tossed to and fro, knocked and battered, but I made no attempt,
that I am aware of, to save myself. At length I opened my eyes. It was
daylight. Some men were bending over me.

I heard a voice say, "Here is one who seems to have still some life in
him." And another person came and took my hand, and after waiting a
minute, said, "Yes, carry him up to the house." And I was put on a
litter and borne up a steep path among some cliffs; and then across a
high, wild down till I reached a substantial, strongly-built stone
house. The movement of the litter had a very good effect on me, so that
by the time I reached the house, my chest was relieved from the salt
water I had swallowed, and my senses had completely returned. I was
therefore saved the ceremony, very common in those days, by which a good
many people were killed, of hanging nearly drowned men up by the heels,
under the idea that the water would more quickly run out of their
mouths. I was carried into a large boarded room, out of which several
others opened. In one of those there was a bed. After my wet clothes
had been taken off me I was placed in bed, carefully wrapped up in
blankets, and directly after some warm drink was brought me.

I remember struggling somewhat when I found my money-belt being removed,
and trying to possess myself of it.

"Never fear, young man; it will be all safe," said a voice. "We are not
wreckers, and we no longer fancy that you will work us harm because we
help to save your life."

This satisfied me. I knew that there were honest people as well as
rogues in the world, but I had often met with honest ones, so I hoped
that I had now fallen among such. One thing, at all events, was very
evident, they seemed anxious to save my life. After this I fell into a
sound sleep.

It was nine o'clock in the evening when I awoke; but the summer days are
very long in those regions, and even then the evening sun was shining
into the window. A stout, white-haired, kindly-looking old gentleman
came in to see me with a younger man, whom I took to be his son, and a
servant girl brought in a tray with some tea, and some barley scones,
hot and buttered. I thought that I had never tasted anything nicer in
my life.

"I hope you are better now after your sleep, young man," said the old
gentleman. "If fever can be kept off, I think you will do well; but we
have sent for the doctor to look at your hurts. There are two or three
ot