landsmen, between these two sailors, the captain
of the ship and the captain of the foretop; one
perched on a stationary fragment of that vessel,
the other drifting on a pianoforte; and both bawling
at one another across the jaws of death.

"Thompson ahoy!"

"Hal-lo!"

"Whither bound?"

"Going out with the tide, and be d—d to
me."

" What, can't ye swim?"

" Like a brass figure-head. It's all over with
poor Jack, sir."

"All over? Don't tell me! Look out now
as you drift under our stern, and we'll lower you
the four-inch hawser."

"Lord bless you, sir; do, pray!" cried
Thompson, losing his recklessness with the
chance of life.

By this time the shore was black with people,
and a boat was brought down to the beach, but
to attempt to launch it was to be sucked out to
sea.

At present all eyes were fixed on Thompson
drifting to destruction.

Dodd cut the four-inch hawser, and Vespasian,
on deck, lowered it with a line, so that Thompson
presently drifted right athwart it: "All
right, sir!" said he, grasping it: and amidst
thundering acclamations was drawn to land full
of salt water and all but insensible. The piano
landed at Dunkirk, three weeks later.

In the bustle of this good and smart action,
the tide retired perceptibly.

By-and-by the sea struck lower and with less
weight.

At nine P.M. Dodd took his little party down
on deck again, being now  the safest place; for
the mast might go.

It was a sad scene: the deck was now dry,
and the dead bodies lay quiet round them, with
glassy eyes: and, grotesquely horrible, the long
hair of two or three was stiff and crystallised
with the saltpetre in the ship.

Mrs. Beresford clung to Vespasian: she held
his bare black shoulder with one white and
jewelled hand, and his wrist with the other,
tight. " Oh, Mr. Black," said she, " how brave
you are! It is incredible. Why you came
back! I must feel a brave man with both my
hands, or I shall die. Your skin is nice and soft
too. I shall never outlive this dreadful day."

And, now that the water was too low to wash
them off the hawser, several of the ship's
company came back to the ship to help the women
down.

By noon the Agra's deck was thirty feet from
the sand. The rescued ones wanted to break
their legs and necks: but Dodd would not permit
even that. He superintended the whole
manoeuvre, and lowered, first the dead, then the
living, not omitting the poor goat, who was
motionless and limp with fright.

When they were all safe on the sand, Dodd
stood alone upon the poop a minute, cheered by
all the sailors, French and English, ashore: then
slid clown a rope and rejoined his companions

To their infinite surprise, the undaunted one
was found to be snivelling.

"Oh dear, what is the matter?" said Mrs.
Beresford, tenderly.

"The poor Agra, ma'am! She was such a
beautiful sea-boat: and just look at her now!
Never sail again: never! never! She was a
little crank in beating, I can't deny it: but how
she did fly with the wind abaft. She sank a
pirate in the straits, and weathered a hurricane
off the Mauritius; and after all for a lubber to
go and lay her bones ashore in a fair wind: poor
dear beauty."

He maundered thus, and kept turning back to
look at the wreck, till he happened to lay his
hand on his breast. He stopped in the middle
of his ridiculous lament, wore a look of self-
reproach, and cast his eyes upward in heartfelt
gratitude.

The companions of so many adventures
dispersed.

A hospitable mayoress entertained Mrs. Beresford
and suite: and she took to her bed; for
she fell seriously ill as soon as ever she could
do it with impunity.

Colonel Kenealy went off to Paris: "I'll gain
that any way by being wrecked," said he.

If there be a lover of quadrupeds here, let
him know that Billy's weakness proved his
strength. Being brandied by a good-natured
French sailor, he winked his eye; being brandied
greatly he staggered up; and butted his
benefactor, like a man.

Fullalove had dry clothes and a blazing fire
ready for Dodd at a little rude auberge: he
sat over it and dried a few bank notes he had
loose about him, and examined his greater treasure,
his children's. The pocket-book was much
stained, but no harm whatever done to the
contents.

In the midst of this employment the shadow
of an enormous head was projected right upon
his treasure.

Turning with a start he saw a face at the
window; one of those vile mugs which are found
to perfection amongst the canaille of the French
nation; bloated, blear-eyed, grizzly, and wild-
beast-like. The ugly thing, on being
confronted, passed slowly out of the sun, and Dodd
thought no more of it.

The owner of this sinister visage was André
Thibout, of whom it might be said, like face
like life; for he was one of those ill omened
creatures, who feed upon the misfortunes of
their kind, and stand on shore in foul weather
hoping the worst, instead of praying for the
best: briefly, a wrecker. He and his comrade,
Jacques Moinard, had heard the Agra's gun
fired, and come down to batten on the wreck:
but lo! at the turn of the tide, there were
gendarmes and soldiers lining the beach; and
the Bayonet interposed between Theft and
Misfortune. So now the desperate pair were
prowling about like hungry, baffled wolves,
curses on their lips, and rage at their hearts.

Dodd was extremely anxious to get to