her people who want his aid."

"What, only two or three escaped out of all those on board the smack?"
said I.

"It is a mercy that any one came on shore alive; and you will say so
when you see the place in day-time," said the younger man.

"We won't speak about it at present," said the old gentleman. "The less
he talks or hears others talk, the better just now. We bid you
good-night. Sleep again, if you can; some one will look in on you to
see how you are going on, now and then."

With these words my hospitable friends left me once more to myself.

I suspected, indeed, that I should be better for a doctor's care, for I
felt that I had been bruised and battered dreadfully; my head had been
bandaged, and when I tried to stir I found all my limbs sore and
stiff,--indeed, it was not without great pain that I could move either
an arm or a leg. I slept through most of the night. When I did awake,
I began to wonder where I had got to, for the old gentleman had remained
in the room so short a time, that I had not been able to ask any
questions.

I had little doubt that I had been cast away on the coast of Shetland,
but whether on the northern or southern end I could not tell, any more
than I could who was my kind host.

The next day the doctor arrived. He had ridden over from Lerwick, with
only the rest of half-an-hour for his steed, he said; so I knew that I
must be at some distance from that town, and yet on the big island
called the mainland. He dressed my wounds and bruises, and told me that
one or two of my ribs were broken, but that I might consider myself
fortunate that matters were no worse; and remarked that he had no doubt
I had lived a prudent, careful life, as I was perfectly free from all
signs of fever, which would not otherwise have been the case; and then
giving me some bottles of medicine to take, he left me to look after his
other patients. He spent two or three days in the house, for the
islands are generally so healthy that there was not much demand for his
services elsewhere.

One of my poor shipmates died, I was told, from his hurts. I rapidly
got better. Besides the old gentleman and his son and the doctor, an
old lady looked in now and then to see me. She was a very neat, pretty
old woman, so cheerful and cheery, always having something pleasant to
say, so that she contributed much to raise my spirits. I will say that
I was most thankful for all the mercies which had been shown me, a