lton already standing there, but looking pale
and perturbed, as if anxious about something.

"What is the matter?" said Mr Rawlings. "You seem out of sorts, beyond
what the loss of these poor fellows would have affected you?"

"Yes, I am," replied the other. "I can't help thinking of that cousin
of mine, and why I did not recognise him when I first saw him; but then
he was quite a little boy at school, and who would have dreamt of your
picking him up at sea?"

"Strange things do happen sometimes," said Mr Rawlings. "When was it
that you last saw him in England?"

"Four years ago last Christmas, if I recollect aright. He was then a
little schoolboy not half his present size. How on earth did he manage
to get to sea? my aunt had a perfect horror of a sailor's life, and
would never have let him go willingly. But, there, it only serves me
right for my selfish neglect! As you told me before, I ought to have
kept up my communication with my family, and then I should have known
all about it. I can't help now fancying all sorts of queer things that
may have occurred. My poor aunt, who used to be so fond of me, may be
dead; and my uncle, who was of a roving nature kindred to mine, may--"

"Nonsense!" said Mr Rawlings, good-naturedly, interrupting him. "If
you go on like that, you'll imagine you're the man in the moon, or
something else! Sailor Bill, or rather your cousin Frank, as we must
now call him, will wake up presently and enlighten us as to how he came
to be in his present position--or rather in the Bay of Biscay, where we
picked him up; for we all know his subsequent history; and then you'll
learn what you are now puzzling your brains about, without any bother.
I confess I am curious in the matter too, for I wish to know the secret
of that mysterious packet round his neck; but we must both wait with
patience, and dismiss the subject for the present from our minds. Come
along with me now, my boy," he added, as the body of the miners hastened
up after paying their last tribute of respect at their comrades' graves.
"I'm just going to have a look at your sluices, and see whether the
stuff is coming out as rich as before."

This invitation at once caused the young engineer to brighten up, as the
idea of action had aroused the miners from dwelling on what had
happened.

The yield upon being examined proved fully as rich as before the first
experiment.

"You see, Mr Rawlings," said Ernest, cordially holding