the party.

"Isn't this grand!" exclaimed Elwood. "When did the ground feel better
to your feet? Saved from fire and water!"

"Our first duty is to thank God!" said Mr. Yard reverently. "He has
chosen us out of the hundreds that have perished as special objects of
his mercy. Let us kneel upon the shore and testify our gratitude to
Him."

All sunk devoutly upon their knees and joined the merchant, as in a low,
impressive tone he returned thanks to his Creator for the signal mercy
he had displayed in bringing them safely through such imminent perils.

"Now, what is to be done next?" inquired Mr. Yard, as they arose to
their feet and looked around them. "The first thing I should like to do
is to procure a suit of clothes, and I hope I shall be able to do it
without stripping any of the dead bodies that will soon wash ashore."

"What is the naad?" asked Tim O'Rooney. "Baing that it's a warrum summer
night, and there saams to be few in the neighborhood that is likely to
take exsaptions to your costume."

"But day is breaking!" replied the merchant, pointing across the low,
rocky country to a range of mountains in the distance, whose high,
jagged tops were blackly defined against the sky that was growing light
and rosy behind them.

"Yes, it will soon be light," said Howard. "See! there are persons along
the shore that have come down to the wreck?"

"They are some of the passengers that have managed to reach land. I will
go among them and see whether any of them have any clothing to sell,"
laughed Mr. Yard as he moved away.

As the sun came up over the mountains it lit up a dreary and desolate
scene. Away in the distance, until sky and earth mingled into one,
stretched the blue Pacific, not ridged into foam and spray like the
boisterous Atlantic, but swelling and heaving as if the great deep was a
breathing monster. A few fragments of blackened splinters floating here
and there were all that remained to show where a few hours before the
magnificent steamer, surcharged with its living freight, so proudly cut
the waters on her swift course toward the Golden Gate.

Several ghastly, blue-lipped survivors in their clinging garments were
wandering aimlessly along the shore, the veriest pictures of utter
misery, as they mumbled a few words to each other, or stared absently
around. They seemed to be partially bereft of their senses, and were
probably somewhat dazed from the fearful scenes through which they had
so recentl