ath their blankets as soon as they could."

"I do not find it so very cold, Stephen. Have you looked at the
thermometer lately?"

"I gave it a look in coming out, sir; and it tells a terrible story
to-night! The marcury is all down in the ball, which is like givin' the
matter up, I do suppose, Captain Gar'ner."

"'Tis strange! I do not _feel_ it so very cold! The wind seems to be
getting round to north-east, too; give us enough of that, and we shall
have a thaw. Hark! there is the cry again."

This time there could be no mistake. A human voice had certainly been
raised amid the stillness of that almost polar night, clearly appealing to
human ears, for succour. The only word heard or comprehended was that of
"help;" one well enough adapted to carry the sound far and distinctly.
There was a strain of agony in the cry, as if he who made it uttered it
in despair. Roswell's blood seemed to flow back to his heart; never had he
before felt so appalling a sense of the dependence of man on a Divine
Providence, as at that moment.

"You heard it?" he said, inquiringly, to Stephen, after an instant of
silent attention, to make sure that no more was to reach his ears just
then.

"Sartain, sir--no man could mistake _that_. It was the voice of the
nigger, Joe; him that Captain Daggett has for a cook."

"Think you so, Stephen? The fellow has good lungs, and they may have set
him to call upon us in their distress. What can be the nature of the
assistance they ask?"

"I've been thinking of that, Captain Gardner; and a difficult p'int it is
to answer. Food they must have still; and was they in want of their
rations, hands would have been sent across to get 'em. They may have let
their fire go out, and be without the means to re-light it. I can think of
nothing else that is likely to happen to men so sarcumstanced."

The last suggestion struck Roswell as possible. From the instant he felt
certain that he was called on for aid, he had determined to proceed to the
wreck, notwithstanding the lateness of the hour, and the intense severity
of the weather. As he had intimated to Stephen, he was not at all
conscious how very cold it was; exercise and the active workings of his
mind having brought him to an excellent condition to resist the sternness
of the season. The appeal had been so sudden and unexpected, however, that
he was at first somewhat at a loss how to proceed. This matter was now
discussed between him and Stimson, when the