hroned powers of reason, swerved out of the way to avoid it. The
effort resulted in placing him within reach of the other, that, suddenly
turning upon its side, grasped him between its extended jaws.

The shriek that followed appeared to proceed from only the half of his
body; for the other half, completely dissevered, had been already
carried off between the terrible teeth of the _zygaena_.

There was but one cry. There was not time for another, even had there
been strength. Before it could have been uttered, the remaining moiety
of the madman's body was seized by the second shark, and borne down into
the voiceless abysm of the ocean!

CHAPTER NINETY TWO.

BOARDING THE BOAT.

Back to the boat! In the minds of the _Catamaran's_ crew naturally did
this resolve succeed to the spectacle they had just witnessed. There
was nothing to stay them on that spot. The bloodstained water, which
momentarily marked the scene of the tragedy, had no further interest for
those who had been spectators to it; and once more heading their craft
for the drifting gig, they made way towards it as fast as their oars and
the sail, now reset, would carry them.

They no longer speculated as to the boat being occupied by a crew,--
either sleeping or awake. In view of the events that had occurred, it
was scarce possible that anyone, in either condition, could be aboard of
her. She must have been abandoned, before that hour, by all but the
solitary individual standing amidships, and pouring out his insane
utterances to the ears of the ocean.

Where were the men that were missing? This was the question that
occupied the crew of the _Catamaran_,--as they advanced towards the
deserted gig--and to which they could give no satisfactory answer.

They could only shape conjectures,--none of which had much air of
probability.

From what they knew or suspected to have occurred upon the large raft
they could draw inferences of a revolting nature. It might be that the
same course had been pursued among those in the gig; and yet it seemed
scarce probable. It was known that the latter had gone off from the
burning bark, if not sufficiently provided for a long voyage, at least
with a stock of both food and water that should have sustained them for
many days. Little William had been a witness of their departure, and
could confirm these facts. Why then had their boat-voyage resulted so
disastrously? It could not have arisen from want. It c