."

They had just a glimpse of this person as he was carried forward by
four men, but that glimpse was one never to be forgotten. The haggard
face, with the dark skin drawn like a mummy's across the prominent
bones, the lips stiff and blackened, between which the teeth shone
whitely, the eyes sunken and but half closed, gave it a horrible
appearance.

"Oh!" whispered Faith in distressed tones, "Isn't he already dead?"

"Not quite," was the response. "We'll bring him around, I reckon, but
it was a close call."

When all duties were discharged and the captain, in dry clothing, sat
before a substantial supper in his own cabin, Joey was sent for the
girls, who gladly joined him without loss of time.

"Sit down," he cried gaily, between big mouth-fills. "I know you are
quivering with curiosity--I can see it sticking out all over you. Just
let me fill up this gaping void a little, and then I'll tell you a
story that will make your two eyes like stars start from their spheres,
and all the rest of it. But now I must eat."

They waited patiently, and presently, leaning comfortably back, with
his third cup of coffee in his hand, he told them what follows:

"We thought, when we reached the sunken, dismasted hull, that of course
she was abandoned, but concluded to board her, and see if there was
anything of value inside. We made her out to be a tartan, probably
with an Arab, or African, crew and it was evident she had been through
a heavy storm, for her masts were washed clean overboard, and her
bulwarks stove in. We could not distinguish a soul aboard, and if she
had carried boats they were gone, but as we went down into the hatchway
we came upon a sight that I wouldn't care for you to see. It was a
dark 'tween-decks cabin, and the stench, as we descended, was simply
horrible! At my first step I stumbled over something that sent a
shudder through me, and when I lighted a match and looked around the
sight made me crawl. Two poor wretches lay there, both dead, as we
thought, but after giving them a thorough examination I decided there
was a spark left in this poor fellow, at least, and after working over
him a while we were sure of it. The other could not be revived, so we
weighted his feet, and let him slide the plank to his watery grave.
But that wasn't all--however I guess I won't tell any more. It's
downright gruesome, and I've got to go up and take a lookout, for we're
likely to have a wild night."

"Oh ye