n and that, and we should probably have come
across her long ago, like that boat from which we picked you up, instead
of her bearing away right before the wind and our having to go in chase
of her, sir, as we are now doing."

"It is true! I did not think of that!" returned the colonel
impulsively, half-starting from his seat in his excitement. "We must be
near her now, captain, though, surely. We must find them, and I must
see my little girl again!"

"Kape aisy, me darlint; kape aisy," here interposed Garry O'Neil, before
Captain Applegarth could answer the question. "Sure, Mr Fosset
promised to give us the worrd whin she hove in sight, an' you're only
distarbin' yoursilf for nothing, colonel! More's the pity, too,
mabruchal, whin your leg is progressin' so illigantly an' the swillin'
goin' down as swately as possible. Now kape aisy, if only to oblige me.
Faith, colonel, me profissional reputation's at shtake!"

The Irishman, all the time he was talking, was carefully attending to
the injured limb, loosening a bandage here, tightening another there,
and keeping the lint dressing moist the while with a lotion which he
applied gently to the surface by means of a sponge. So, impressed alike
by his tender solicitude thus practically shown on his behalf as much as
by his opportune admonition, the colonel was forced to remain quiet.

"I wish he'd be quick about it!" he muttered to himself. "Well, doctor,
as you will not let me move, I suppose you will let me go on with my
tale; that is, if it interests you!"

"Aye, aye; I want to hear everything," said the skipper. "And fire
away, colonel; there's plenty of time for you to reel off your yarn
before we overhaul the chase."

"All right,--then, I will proceed," replied the other. "All went well
with us on the voyage until the afternoon of the third day after sailing
from La Guayra, when, unfortunately, the weather changed and the
westerly wind, which had favoured us so far, suddenly failed us after
wafting us through the Mona Passage, and we became becalmed off Cap San
Engano, to the northward of Hayti."

"Hayti!" exclaimed old Mr Stokes, waking up from a short nap he had
been having on the sly, and pretending to be keenly alive to the
conversation. "That's the famous black republic, ain't it?"

"Famous black pandemonium, you mean!" retorted the colonel fiercely, his
eyes flashing at once with fire. "Excuse me, sir, but I have seen so
much of these negro bru