up the cabin hatch. At that instant three
dark forms, bending low, came stealing along
with noiseless tread under the shadow of the
bulwarks. Nearer and nearer they drew, until
the helmsman started and bent forward to peer
into the darkness. Then the foremost of the
stealthy figures leapt on with the bound of a
tiger, and, with one blow of a handspike, dashed
the Russian senseless on the deck.

"Weel done, Jock Judkins!" whispered
McDonald, hoarsely, as he darted on with bare
feet, followed by the negro; "haul in the
tow-rope, so; now fair and softly aboard, and
the leddy first, when Rod's over the side to help
her. Mind your footing, my bonny lassie —  a
slip might cost a' our lives."

We got on board the boat, unshipped the
oars, and cut the " painter;" but I suppose we
made some little noise, for a smothered cry
arose on board the vessel, and in the bright
starlight we saw Spiridion and three or four
more rush to the poop with frantic gestures of
rage.

"Curses on you! Come back, or I'll fire!"
yelled the young Greek, levelling a musket over
the rail.

"Fire away, you cowardly lubber; who
cares a mouldy biscuit for your gun," bawled
Judkins, in derision; but McDonald, more
thoughtful, by a quick jerk of both arms,
pulled Marian down under shelter of the
thwarts, and the ball hissed by, knocking off
Rod's straw hat.

"Hi! Massa 'Donald, him near touch dat,"
cried the negro, but his words were drowned by
the discharge of several muskets from the ship,
none of which, however, were well aimed. We
pulled vigorously; for luckily I could row almost
as well as the sailors, and, heavy as the boat
was, our efforts soon carried us out of range.
Through the dim distance we could see the black
mountains of the coast. Once there, we should
be safe. The only real danger was in pursuit.
Marian, who had taken her place in the stern-
sheets, and who had cast a wild, half despairing
look behind, suddenly cried,

"Look there —  there —  O horrible, most horrible!"

The huge ship was now a seething pyramid of
fire; flames spouted from her port-holes, as from
the jaws of some fiery dragon; flames ran
along her bulwarks; leaped among her rigging;
rioted on her deck. The masts were kindling
into pillars of flame, the sails, the cordage,
were blazing broad and bright. By the glaring
light we could plainly see many dark forms,
some climbing with desperate agility to yard
and truck, in hopes of prolonging life; some
toiling to launch the boats, made purposely
useless by themselves; some whose frantic
gestures of despair gave them the air of demons
as they rushed to and fro across that lurid
background of fire.

"They're caught in their ain trap. Heaven
hae mercy on their sinful souls!" said McDonald,
grimly, but with an unwonted twitching in his
stern features.

"Could we not save them? O, save them!
it is too dreadful!" cried Marian, sobbing.

But to render aid was impossible. Even if
we could safely have trusted the forbearance
of such wretches, we were now too far off,
and a strong current was sweeping us shorewards.
The fearful spectacle was brief. For
a little while the burning ship gleamed like
a volcano in eruption, then came a dull booming
roar, and blazing planks and spars, sails and
cordage, went rushing up into the air, as the
powder in the hold caught fire. A thick cloud
of smoke was the last we saw of the catastrophe.

With some danger and trouble we effected a
landing, on a very stony and unfrequented part
of the coast, and were received hospitably
enough by the Turkish villagers, whose aga
sent us on, by slow stages, to the British
Consulate at Trebizond. Our perils were then at
an end. Marian Brackley was restored to her
home, luckily before the news of the ship's loss
reached Odessa; the seamen were forwarded to
Constantinople, where they easily found
employment; and I was so fortunate as to be offered
a passage home in a frigate bound for Portsmouth,
and the commander of which had heard
of our adventures. These made some noise at
the time, and the production of the leaf from
the log- book saved the underwriters from
a heavy loss, and caused no trifling stir at
Odessa.

Early in March will be commenced a New Serial Work
of Fiction, entitled

VERY HARD CASH.

By CHARLES READE, D.C.L.,

Author of " IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO MEND."

To be continued from week to week, until completed in
about eight months.

On Monday, March the Second, will be published, bound in
cloth boards, price 5s. 6d.,

THE EIGHTH VOLUME,

Containing from No. 177 to 200, both inclusive; and, in
addition,

SOMEBODY'S LUGGAGE,

Being the Extra Double Number for Christmas.

Just published, in Three Volumes, post 8vo,

NO NAME.

By WILKIE COLLINS.
SAMPSON Low, Son, and Co., 47, Ludgate-hill.

* ? * The author begs to announce that he has protected his right of
property (so far as the stage is concerned) in the work of his own
invention, by causing a dramatic adaptation of "No Name" to be written,
of which he is the sole proprietor, and which has been published and
entered at Stationers' Hall as the law directs.