n their power upon them, and
Mr. Ernescliffe, at first, revived so much, that he seemed likely to
recover.

But the ship had completed her repairs, and was ready to sail. The two
midshipmen thought it would be certain death to their lieutenant to
bring him back to such an atmosphere; "and so," continued Harry's letter
to his father, "I thought there was nothing for it but for me to stay
with him, and that you would say so. I got Owen to consent, after some
trouble, as we were sure to be fetched off one time or another. We said
not a word to Mr. Ernescliffe, for he was only sensible now and then, so
that Owen had the command. Owen made the skipper leave me a pistol and
some powder, but I was ashamed David should know it, and stowed it away.
As to the quarter-master, old Jennings, whose boy you remember we
picked up at the Roman camp, he had not forgotten that, and when we were
shaking hands and wishing good-bye, he leaped up, and vowed 'he would
never leave the young gentleman that had befriended his boy, to be eaten
up by them black savage niggers. If they made roast-pork of Mr. May, he
would be eaten first, though he reckoned they would find him a tougher
morsel.' I don't think Owen was sorry he volunteered, and no words can
tell what a blessing the good old fellow was to us both.

"So there we stayed, and, at first, Mr. Ernescliffe seemed mending. The
delirium went off, he could talk quite clearly and comfortably, and he
used to lie listening, when David and I had our odd sort of talks. I
believe, if you had been there, or we could have strengthened him any
way, he might have got over it; but he never thought he should, and he
used to talk to me about all of you, and said Stoneborough had been the
most blessed spot in his life; he had never had so much of a home, and
that sharing our grief, and knowing you, had done him great good, just
when he might have been getting elated. I cannot recollect it all,
though I tried hard, for Margaret's sake, but he said Hector would have
a great deal of temptation, and he hoped you would be a father to him,
and Norman an elder brother. You would not think how much he talked of
Cocksmoor, about a church being built there, as Ethel wished, and little
Daisy laying the first stone. I remember one night, I don't know whether
he was quite himself, for he looked full at me with his eyes, that had
grown so large, till I did not know what was coming, and he said, 'I
have seen a ship built b