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hip afloat. Your father hns always pursued a splendid policy In Hint re spect. Tho liOtidon and Hongkong company may not possess fnst vessels, but thoy ore seaworthy and well found In every respect." "Are there ninny peoplo 111 on bonrd?" "No; Just the usual number of dis turbed livers. We hntl n nasty acci dent shortly before dinner." "Good gracious! Whnt happened '" "Some Lascars were caught by a sea forward, One man bad his leg bro ken." "Anything else?" The doctor hesitated. He became Interested In tho color of some Bur gundy. "I hardly know the exnrt de tails yet," he replied. "Tomorrow nft er breakfast I will tell you nil about It." An English quartermaster and four Lnscnrs had been licked from oft the forecastle by tho greedy tongue of n huge wave. The succeeding surge tiling tho five men hack ngainst the quarter. Olio of the black sailors was pitched nbonrd with a fractured leg and other Injuries. The others were smashed ngnlnst the Iron bull nnd disappeared. For one tremulous moment the en gines slowed. The ship commenced to veer off Into tho path of tho cyclone. Captain Ross set his teeth, and the tele graph bell Jangled "Full speed ahead." "Poor Jackson!" he murmured. "One of my best men. 1 remember seeing his wife, n prnttly Utile woman, and two children coming to meet him last j homeward trip. They will be there again. Hood God! That l.ascar who was saved has some one to nwnlt him In n Bombay village, I suppose." The captain fought his way to the chart house. He wiped the salt water from his eyes nnd looked anxiously nt the bnrotiictiT. "Still falling!" ho muttered. "I will keep on until 7 o'clock nnd then bear three points to tho southward. Tty midnight we should be behind it." He struggled back Into the outside fury. By comparison the sturdy cita del he quitted was paradise on the edge of nn luferno. Down in the saloon the hnrdler pas sengers were striving to subdue the ennui of nn interval before they sought their cabins, Some talked. One hard ened reprobate strummed the piano. Others played cards, chess, draughts anything that would distract attention. The stately apartment offered strunge contrast to the warring elements with out. Bright lights, costly upholstery, soft carpets, carved panels and gilded cornices, with uniformed attendants passing to and fro carrying coffee and glasses these, surroundings suggested a floating palace in which the raging seas were defied. Yet forty miles away, somewhere in the furious depths, four corpses swirled about with horrible uncertnlnty. lurching through battling currents nnd perchance convoyed by fighting sharks. The surgeon had been called away. Iris was tho only lady left In the sa loon. She watched n set of whist play ers for a time and then essayed the perilous passage to her stateroom. She found her maid nnd a stewardess there. Both women were weeping. "What Is the matter?-' she inquired. The stewardess tried to speak. She choked with grief nnd hastily went out. The maid blubbered an explana tion. "A friend of hers wns married, miss, to the man who is drowned." "Drowned! Whatman?" "Haven't you heard, miss? I sup pose they nre keeping It quiet. An English sailor and some natives were swept off the ship by a sea. One native was saved, but ho is all smashed up. The others were never seen again," Iris by degrees learned the sad chronicles of the .lackson family. She was moved to tears. She remembered tho doctor's hesitancy nnd her own Idle phrase, "a huge coffin." Outside the roaring waves pounded upon tho iron walls. Two staterooms had been converted Into one to provide Miss Denne with ample nccouiniodntlon. There were nc bunks, hut a cozy bed was screwed to the deck. She lay down and strove to rend. It was a difficult task, llei eyes wandered from the printed page to mark the absurd antics of her gar ments swinging on their hooks. At times tlie ship rolled so far that she felt sure it must topple over. She was not afraid, but subdued, rather aston ished, placidly prepared for vague eventualities. Things were ridiculous. What need was there for all this external fury? Why should pooy sailors bo cast forth to instant dentil in such awful man ner? If she could only sleep and for get If kind oblivion would blot out the storm for a few blissful hours! lint how could one sleep with the conscious ness of that watery giant thundering his summons upon the Iron plates a few inches away? Then came the blurred picture of Cap tain Itoss high up on tho bridge peer ing Into the moving blackness. How Strange that there should be hidden In the convolutions of a man's brain an intelligence Hint laid bare the pre- 4n,ijnt tt Hint tvi vntin,tj lit. Ill, ill u 1 1 1 milt ' ' l.,,nr." ... ...wi..t......v. .... ,.iv Each Of tho ship's olllcers. the com mnndcr more than the others, under-1 stood the why and the wherefore olj this blustering combination of wind nnd sea. Iris knew the language of poker. Nature was putting up a huge bluff. j Oh. dear! She wns so tired, It de manded n physical effort to constantly j shove nway an unseen force that tried to push you over. How funny Hint n( big cloud should travel up against tin , wind! And so, amid confused won dermenr, she lapsed Into an uneasj lumber, her Inst sentient thought be ' Ing a quiet thankfulness that Hit hercvv went thud, thud, thud, tliud with such determination. After the course wns changed aim tho Sirdar bore away toward the south west the commander consulted tho ha rometer each half hour. Tho telltale mercury had sunk over two Inches ir. twelve hours. Tho abnormally low pressnro quickly created dense clouds which enhanced tho melancholy dark ncss of the gale. For many minutes together tho bows of tho ship were not visible. Masthead and side lights were obscured by the pelting scud. Tho engines thrust the vessel forward likn a lance Into the vitals of the storm. Wind and wave. Rushed out of tho vortex with Impo tent fury. At Inst soon nftcr midnight the ba rometer showed n slight upwnrd move- ... . I ..... uivui, .11. i;iw 11. in. nn- vuilllis Ijuuuuju . pronounceu. Himuitnneousiy tnc wind swung round a point to tho westward. Thou Captain Hoss smiled wearily. Ills face brightened. He opened his oilskin coat, glanced nt the compass nnd nodded approval. Then he turned to consult n chart. He was Joined by the chief officer. Both men examined the chart In silence. Captain Itoss finally took n pencil He slabbed its point on the paper In the neighborhood of It degrees north nnd U" degrocs east. "We are about there, 1 think." Tho chief ngrecd. "That was the lo cality T had In my mind." He bent closer over tho sheet. "Nothing In the way tonight, sir," he added. "Nothing whatever. It Is n bit of good luck to meet such weather here. We can keep as far soufh as we like until daybreak, and by that time How did It look when you came In?" "A trllle better, I think." "I have sent for some refreshments. T.et us have another look before we tackle them." The two olllcers passed out Into the hurricane. Instantly the wind endenv ored to tear the chart house from off the deck. They looked aloft nnd ahead. Tho olllcer on duly saw them and nod ded silent comprehension. It was use less to attempt to spenk. The weather was perceptibly clearer, Then nil three peered ahead again. They stood, pressing against the wind, seeking to penetrate the uiurklnoss in front. Suddenly they were galvanized Into strenuous activity A wild howl came from the lookout forward. The eyes of the threo men glared at a huge dismasted Chinese junk wallowing helplessly In the trough of the sea dead under tho bows. The captain sprang to the chart house and signaled In tierce pantomime that the wheel should be put hard over. The olllcer In charge of the bridge pressed the telegraph lever to "stop" and "full speed astern," while with his disencnged hand he pulled hnrd at the siren cord, and n raucous wnrntng sent stewards flying through tho ship to close collision bulkhead doors. The "chief" darted to the port rail, for the Sirdar's Instant response to the helm seemed 1o clenr her nose from the junk as If by ninglc. It all happened so quickly that while the hoarse signal was still vibrating through the ship the Junk swept past her quarter. The chief officer, joined now by the commander, looked down into the wretched craft. They could see her crew lashed in a hunch around the capstan on her elevated poop. She was laden with timber. Although wa terlogged, she could not sink If she held together. A great wave sucked her away from the steamer and then hurled her back with irresistible force. The Sirdar was just completing her turning move ment, and she heeled over, yielding to tho mighty lower of tho gale. For an appreciable intant her engines stop ped. The mass of water that swayed the Junk like a cork lifted the great ship high by the stern. The propeller began to revolve In nlr, for the third of ficer had corrected his signal to "full speed ahead" again, nnd the cumbrous Chinese vessel struck the Sirdar n ter rible blow in the counter, smashing off the screw close to the thrust block and wrenching the rudder from its bearings. There wns an awful race by the en tines before the engineers could shut off steam. The junk vanished Into the wilderness of noise and tumbling seas l.ejuiid, nnd the fine steamer of a few seconds ago. replete with magnificent energy, struggled like a wounded levia than in the grasp of a vengeful foe. She swung around as if in wrath to pursue the puny assailant which had dealt her this mortal stroke. No longer breasting the storm, with stubborn per sistency, she now drifted aimlessly before wind and ae. She was mere ly a larger plaything tossed about by titanic gambols. The junk was burst asunder by the collision. Her plunks anil cargo littered the waves, were even tossed in derision on to the decks of the Sirdar. Of what avail was strong timber or bolted Iron ngalnst the spleen of the unchained nnd form less monster who loudly proclaimed his triumph? The great steamship drifted on through chaos. The typhoou had broken the lance. Hut brave men, skillfully directed, Wl'OUaht hnrd o nverr further lla. They limited down Into the urctched craft. lor. After the llrst moment of stupot gallant British sailors risked life nnd limb to bring the vessel under control. Ilv their calm courage they shamed the paralyzed Lascars into activity. A sail was rigged on the foremast and n sua anchor hastily constructed as soon us it was discovered thnt the helm was useless, itockets flared up into the hky at regular Intervals in tho faint hope that should they attract the at tentlon of unotber vessel sho would fol low the disabled Slrdnr and render help when the weather moderated. When the captain ascertained Hint no wntor wns being shipped, the dam.' age being wholly external, tho collision flnnm W0M fififinprl utifl tlln tin uantt crura - --" - ..... ...nw .. ndmltted to the saloon, n brilliant pal nee, superbly Indifferent to the wreck nnd ruin without. Captain Itoss himself came down nnd nddressed a few comforting words to the quiet men nnd pnllld women gath ered there. He told them exactly whnt had happened, The hours passed In tedious misery after Captain Itoss' visit. Every one was eager to get a glimpse of the un known terrors without from the deck. This was out of the question, so peo ple sat nround the tables to listen eagerly to Kxpcrleiico nnd his wise saws on drifting ships nnd their pros pects. Some cnutlons persons visited their cabins to secure vnluables In case of further disaster. A few hardy spirits returned to bed. Meanwhile In the chart house the cap tain and chief officer were gravely pondering oVer nn open chnrt and dis cussing a fresh risk thnt loomed ominously before them. The ship wns a long way out of her usual course when the accident happened. She was drifting now, they estimated, eleven knots hii hour, with wind, sea and cur rent all forcing her in the same direc tion, drifting into one of the most dnn- gerous places in the known world, the south Chlnn sen, with Its numberless reefs, shoals and Isolated rocks nnd the grent Island of Borneo stretching right across the path of. the cyclone. Still there was nothing to bo done save to make a few unobtrusive prepa rations and trust to Idle chance. To attempt to anchor and ride out the gale In their present position wns out of the. question. Two, .'I, -f o'clock came and went. Another half hour would witness the dawn and a further clearing of the weather. Tho barometer wns rapidly rising. The center of the cyclone had swept far ahead. There was only left the nfteriuath of heavy sens nnd liirl ous but steadier wind. Captain Itoss entered the chart house for the twentieth time Ho had aged many years In appcar ance. The smiling, confident, debonair olllcer wns changed into a stricken, mournful man. He had altered with his ship. The Sirdar and her master could hardly be' recognized, so cruel weie the blows they had received. "It Is impossible to see n yaid nhead," he confided to his se-jond in command. "I have never been so anx ious before in my life. Thank God. the night Is drawing to a close. Perhaps when day breaks" -His last words contained a prayer nnd a hope. Kven as he spoke the ship seemed to lift herself bodily with nn unusual effort for a vessel moving be fore the wind. Tho next instant there wns a horrible grinding crash forward. Knelt person who did not chance to be holding fast to nn upright was thrown iolently down. The deck was tilted to a dan gerous angle and remained there, while the heavy buffeting of the sea. now raging afresh at this unlooked for re sistance, drowned the despairing yells raised by the Lascars on duty. The Sirdar had completed her last voyage. She was now n battered wreck on a barrier reef. She hung thus for one heartbreaking second. Then an other wave, riding triumphantly through its fellows, caught the great steamer In its tremendous grasp, car ried her onward for half her length and smashed her down on the rocks. Her bnck wns broken. She parted In two halves. Both sections turned com pletely over in the utter wnutonness of destruction, and everything masts, funnels, boats, hull, with every living soul on board wns at once engulfed in n maelstrom of rushing water and far flung spray. CHAPTER Ir. HEN the Sirdnr parted amid ships the floor of the saloon heaved up in the center with a mighty crash of rending woodwork nud Iron. Men and women, too stupelled to sob out a prayer, were pitched headlong into chaos. Iris, torn from the terrified grasp of her maid, fell through a corridor and would have gone down with the ship had not a sailor, clinging to a companion ladder, caught her as she whirled along the steep slope of the deck. He did not know whnt hnd happen ed. With the Instinct of self preserva tion he seized the nearest support when the vessel struck. It was the mere Impulse of ready helpfulness that caused hltu to stretch out his left arm and clasp the girl's waist as she flutter ed past. By idle chance th'ey were on the port side, and the ship, after paus ing for one awful second, fell over to starboard. The man was not prepared for this second gyration. Even ns the stair way canted he lost his balance; they were both thrown violently through the open hatchway and swept off into the boiling surf, ruder such condi tions thought itself was Impossible. A series of impressions, a number of fan tastic pictures, were received by the be numbed faculties nnd afterward pain fully sorted out by the memory. Fear, anguish, amazement none of these could exist. All he knew was that the lifeless form of n woman for Iris had happily fainted must be held until death Itself wrenched her from hltn. Then there came the headlong plungo Into the swirling sen, followed by mi Indefinite period of gasping oblivion. Something that felt like a moving rock rose up beneath his feet. He was driv en clear out of the water and seemed to recognize a familiar object rising rigid and bright close at hand. It wns the pinnacle pillar, screwed to a portion of the deck which came away from the chart house, nnd wns rent from the up per framework by contact with the reef. He seized this unlooked for. sup port with his disengaged hand. A uniformed figure he thought It was the captain- stretched out an un availing arm to clasp the queer raft which supported the sailor and the girl, but a jeulous wave roso under the pint form with devilish energy nud turned It completely over, hurling the man with his inanimate burden Into the depths. He rose, lighting madly for his life, Now surely he was doom ed. But again, ns if human existence depended on naught more serious than thp spinning of a coin, his knees rested on tho same few stanch timbers, now the celling of tho music room nnd he wns given a brief respite. His great ,,,.,. wn , -pt his breath no '1,m" 8 " f tI ,' dPU3P WHS HlO Spl It.V tltroilgll Wl ell he whs driven. Kven in tnnt terrlblo moment he kept his senses. The girl, utterly unconscious, showed by the convulsive heaving of her breast thnt he was choking. With a wild effort he swung her bend round to shield her from tho flying send with his own form. The tiny nlr space thus provided gave her Home relief, nnd In that In stant the sailor seemed to rocognlzo her. He wns not remotely capable of n definite Idea, .lust as ho vaguely real ised the Identity of the woman In his nrms the unsteady support on which be rested toppled over. Again he re newed the unequal contest. A strong, resolute man and u typhoon sea wros tied for supremacy. This time his feet plunged against something gratefully solid. He was dashed forward, still battling with tho raging turmoil of water, and n second time he felt tho same firm yet smooth surface. His dormant faculties awoke. It was sand. 'With frenzied despera tion, buoyed now by the Inspiring hope of safety, he fought his way onward like a maniac. Often he fell. Three times did tho backwash try to drag him to the swirling death behind, but he staggered blindly on, on, until even the tearing gnio ceased to be laden with the suffo cating foam, and his faltering feet sank In deep soft white snnd. Then he fell. not. to rise again. With a last weak flicker of exhausted strength he drew the girl closely to him, nnd fho two lay clasped tightly together, heedless now of all things. How long the man remained pros trate ho could only guess subsequently. The Sirdar struck t-ooti after day break, and the sailor awoke to a hazy consciousness of his surroundings to find a shaft of sunshine flickering through the clouds banked up In the east. The gale was already passing nway. Although the wind still wills tied with shrill violence, it w.is more blustering than tli rent en Ing. The sen, too, though running very high, had re treated many yards from the spot where he had finally dropped, and Its surface was no longer scourged with venomous spray. Slowly and painfully he raised him self to a sitting posture, for he wns bruised and stiff. With his llrst move ment he oceanic violently 111. He had swallowoj much salt water, and it wns not until tho spnsm of sickness hnd passed that he thought of the girl. "She cannot be dead." In- hoarsely murmured, feebly trying to lift her. "Surely Providence would not desert her after such nn escape. What n Weak beggar I must be to give in at the last moment! I am sine she was living when we got ashore. What on arth can I do to revive her':" Forgetful of his own aching limbs In this newborn anxiety, he sank on one knee and gently pillowed Iris' head and shoulders on the other. Her eyes were closed, her Hps and teeth in inly set a fact to which she undoubtedly owed her life, else she would have been suf focatedand the pallor of her skin seemed to be thnt terrible bloodless huo which indicates death. The stern lines In the man's face relaxed, and something blurred his vision. He wns weak from exhaustion and want of food. For tiie moment 'us emotions were easily aroused. "Oh, It is pitiful!" he almost whim pered. "It cannot, be!'' With n gesture of despair lie drew the sleeve of his thick jersiy ncross his eyes to clear them from t'te gathering lie ntuggered Mindly on. ailst. Then he tremblingly endeavored to open tho neck of her dress. He was startled to find the girl's eyes wide open and surveying him with shadowy alarm. She was qultu cousclous. "Thauk God!" he cried hoarsely. "You are alive." ner color enme bnck with remnrka ble rapidity. She tried to assume a sit ting posture, nnd Instinctively her hands traveled to her disarranged cos tunic. "How ridiculous!" she snld, with a little note of annoyance In her voice which sounded curiously hollow. But her bravo spirit could not yet commnud her enfeebled frame. She wns perforce compelled to sink back to tho support of his knee and arm. "Do you think you could lie quiet un til I try to find some water?" he gasp ed nuxiously. She nodded a childlike acquiescence, and her eyelids fell. It was only that her eyes smarted dreadfully from the salt wafer, but the sailor was sure that this was n premonition of a lapse to unconsciousness. "Please try not to faint ngalii," he aid. "Don't you think I had bette loosen these things? You can breathe more easily." A ghost of tt smile flickered on hot llP8. "No-no," sho murmured. "My eyes hurt me-that Is all. Is there- any water?" Ha laid her tenderly on the snnd nnd roso -to his feet. His first glance wn toward tho sea. Ho saw something which made him blink with astonish ment. A heavy sen wns still running1 over the bnrrlcr reef which Inclosed a small lagoon. The contrast between the fierce commotion outside and tho conipnrntlvely smooth surface of tho protected pool was very marked. At low tide the lagoon was almost com pletely Isolated, indeed ho Imagined thnt only n fierce gale blowing from the northwest would enable the wnve to leap tho reef, save where n strip of broken water, surging far into tho small nnturnl harbor, betrayed the po sltlon of the tiny entrance. Yet nt this very point a fine cocoantlt palm renrcd Its stately column high in air, and Its long, tremulous fronds were tw swinging wildly beforo the gale. From where he stood It appeared to be growing In the midst of the sea, for huge breakers completely hid the coral embankment. This sentinel of the land had n weirdly impressive effect. It wns the only fixed object In the waste of fonm enpped waves. Not a vestige of the Slrdnr remained senwnrd, but the snnd was littered with wrecknge, nnd mournful spectacle a consldcra blc number of Inanimate human forms lay huddled up nmld the relics of the steamer. This discovery stirred him to action, He turned to survey the land on which he was stranded with his helpless com panion. To his grent relief he dlscov creil that It wns lofty and tree clad He knew thnt the ship could not have drifted to Borneo, which still lny far to the south. This must be one of the hundreds of Islands which stud the China sea nnd provide resorts for Hai nan fishermen. Probably It was In habited, though he though! It. strange that none of the Islanders had put in an ntipenrnnce. In any event water ! and food of son.u sort were assured But before selling out upon his quest two things demanded attention. The girl must be removed from her present position. It would be too horrlblo to penult her llrst conscious gnze to rest upon those crumpled objects on the bench. Common humnnlty demanded, too, that he should hnstlly examine tach of the bodies In case life was not wholly extinct So he bent over the girl, noting with sudden wonder that, weak as she was. she hnd ninnngod to refasten part of her bodice. "You must permit me to carry you a little farther Inland," he explained gently. Without another word he lifted her In his nrms, mnrvellng somewhat nt the strength which came of necessity, and bore her some little distance until a sturdy rock Jutting out of the sand offered shelter from the wind and pro tection from the sen nnd its revela tions. I am so cold and tired," murmured Iris. "Is there any water? My throat hurts me." He pressed bnck the tnngled hnlr from her forehead as he might soothe a child. Try to lie still for a very few min utes," he said. "You have not long to suffer. I will return immediately." His own throat nnd palate were on fire owing to the brine, but he first hurried back to the edge of tho lagoon. There were fourteen bodies tti nil. three women nnd eleven men. four of the latter being T.ascars. The women were saloon passengers whom he did not know. One of the men was the sur geon, another the first officer, a third Sir John Tozer. The rest were passen gers and members of the crew. They were all dead; some had been peaceful ly drowned, others were fearfully mangled by the rocks. Two of the Las cars, bearing signs of dreadful Injuries, were lying on a cluster of low rocks overhanging the water The remainder rested on the snnd. The sailor exhibited no visible emo tion while he conducted his sad sent- tlnv. When he wns assured that this silent compiuiy wns beyond mortal help he at once strode nway toward tho nearest belt of trees. He could not tell how long the search for water might be protracted, and there wns pressing Seed for It. When he reached the first clump of brushwood ho uttered a delighted ex tarnation. There, growing lu prodigal hixurlnnce, was tho beneficent pitcher plant, whose large curled up leaf, shap ed like a teacup, not only holds a last ing qunntity of rain water, but mixes therewith its own palatable and nat ural Juices. With his knife he severed two of the leaves nnd hastened to Iris with the precious beverage. She heard him and managed to raise herself on an el bow. Tho poor girl's eyes glistened at the prospect of relief. Without a word of question or surprise she swallowed the contents of both leaves. Then she found utterance. "How odd it tastes. Wltat is it?" she In quired. But the eagerness with which she quenched her thirst renewed his own momentarily forgotten torture. His tongue seemed to swell. Ho was ab solutely unable to reply. The water revived Iris like a magic draft. Her quick Intuition told her what had happened. "You have had none yourself!" she cried. "Go nt onco and get some! And please bring me some more!" He required no second bidding. Aft er hastily gulping down the contents of sovernl leaves he returned with a further supply. Iris was now sitting up. The sun had burst royally through the clouds, and her chilled limbs were gaining some degree of warmth and elasticity. "What is It?" she repeated after an other delicious draft. "The leaf of the pitcher plant. Na ture is not always cruel. In an un usually generous mood she devised this method of storing water." Miss Denne reached out her hand for more. Her troubled brain refused to wonder at such a reply from an ordi nary seaman. The sailor deliberately spilled the contents of n remaining leaf on the sand. "No, madam," he said, with an odd mixture of deference nnd firmness. "No more at present. I must first procure you some food." She looked up at him In momentary slleiice. "The ship Is lost?" she said after a pause. "Yes, madam." "Are wo the only people saved!" "I fear so." "Is this a desert Island?" "I think not, madam. It mny by chancn be temporarily uulnhablted, but fishermen from China come to nil these places. I hnve seen no other living he- Ings except ourselves. Nevertheless the Islnnders mny live on the south side." 'It surely cannot be possible thnt tho Slrdnr hns gone to pieces -a mngnlfl- cent vessel of her size nnd strength?" Ho nnswered quietly: "It Is too true, mndntn, I suppose you hardly know she struck, It happened so suddenly. Afterward, fortunately for you, you were unconscious." "How do you know?" she Inquired quickly. A flood of vivid recollection was pouring in upon her. "I er well, I happened to be nenr you, madam, when the ship broke up, nnd we er drifted ashore together." She rose and faced hltn. "I remem ber now," sho cried hysterically. "You caught mo as I was thrown Into tho corridor. We fell Into the sea when the vessel turned over. You hnve saved my life. Were It not for you I could not possibly have oscnped." She gnzed nt him more enrnestly, see ing thnt ho blushed beneath the crust of salt and sand that covered his face. "Why," she went on, with growing ex citement, "you nre Hie steward 1 no ticed In the saloon yesterday. How is it that yon are now dressed as a sailor?" He answered revidlly enough. "There wns nn accident on bonrd during tho gale, mudnin. I am a fair sailor, but a poor steward, so I applied for a transfer. As the crew was short hand til, my offer wns accepted." Iris wns now looking at him Intently. "You saved my life," she repeated slowly. It seemed that this obvious fact needed to be Indelibly established in her mind. Indeed the girl wns over wrought by all that she hud gone through. Only by degrees were her thoughts marshaling themselves with lucid coherence. As yet she recalled so many dramatic incidents that they failed to nsMimo due proportion. But quickly there came memories of Captain Itoss, of Sir John and Lady Tozer, of tho doctor, her maid, the hundred and one individualities of her pleasant life aboard ship. Could It be that they were all dead? The notion was monstrous. But its ghastly signif icance wns Instantly borne in upon her by the plight In which she stood. Her Hps quivered; Hie tears trembled In her eyes. "Is it really true that all the ship's company except ourselves are lost?" sho brokenly demanded. The sailor's gravely earnest glance fell beforo hers. 'Tiihappily there Is no mom for doubt," he said. "Are you quite, quite sure?" "I am sure- of some." Involuntarily he turned seaward. She understood him. She sank to her knees, covered her face with Jinr hands and broke into u passion of weeping. With a look of infinite! pity he stooped and would havo touched her shoulder, but he suddenly restrained the im pulse. Something had hardened this man. It cost him nn effort to be cal lous, but he succeeded. Ills mouth tightened, and his expression lost its tenderness. "Come, come, my dear lady," he ex claimed, and there wns a tinge of stud il roughness in hi voice, "you must calm yourself. It is the fortune of shipwreck ns well as of war, you know. We are nllve and must look after ourselves. Those who havo gone are beyond our help." "But not beyond our sympathy," wailed Iris, uncovering her .swimming eyes for a fleeting look at him. Even in the utter desolation of the moment sho could not help marveling that this queer mannered sailor, who spoke like a gentleman nnd tried to pose as her Inferior, who had leseued her with the utmost gallantry, who carried his quix- otic zeal to the point of flrt supplying her needs when he was in far worse case himself, should be so utterly In different to the fate of others. He waited silently until her sobs ceased. "Now, madam," he said, "It Is essen tial thnt we should obtain some food. I don't wish to leave you alone until we nre better acquainted with our whereabouts. Can you walk a little way toward the trees, or shnll 1 nssist you?" Iris immediately stood up. She press ed her hair back defiantly. "Certainly I can walk," she answer ed. "Whnt do you propose to do?" "Well, madam" "What Is your name?" she Interrupt ed imperiously. "Jenks, madam. Robert Jenks." "Thank you. Now listen, Mr. Robert Jenks. My name Is Miss Iris Denne. On board ship I was a passenger and you were a steward that is, until you became a seaman. Hero we are equals. In misfortune, but in all else you are the leader. I am quite useless, 1 can only help In matters by your direction, Plodding together through the xuntf. io I do not wish to be addressed as 'madam' lu every breath. Do you un derstand me?" "As you wish, Miss Denne." he said. "The fact reninlns that I have many things to attend to, and wc really must tat something." "Whnt cnu we eat?" "Let us find nut," he replied scan ning the nearest trees with keen sent tiny. They plodded together through the sand In silence. Physically they were a superb couple, hut In raiment they resembled scarecrows. Both, of course, were bareheaded. The sailor's Jersey nnd trousers were old and torn, nni! the sea water still soughed loudly Ir his heavy boots with eneh step. But Iris wns In a deplorable plight. Her hnlr fell In n grent wnve of gold en brown strands over her neck and shoulders, livery hairpin had vanish ed, but Willi a few dexterous twists she colled tho flying tresses into a loose knot. Her beautiful muslin dress was rent and draggled, It was drying rapidly under the ever inci easing pow er of the sun, nnd sho surreptitiously endeavored to complete Hie fastening of the open portion about her neck. Suddenly ho gave a glad shout, "By Jove, Miss I tea uc, we ate In luck's way! Thete is n line plantain tree." The pangs of hunger could not lie re l.sted. Although the fruit was hardly ripe, they tore et the great bunches and ate ravenously. Iris made no pre tense In the matter, and tho Bailor was in worse plight, for h? had been on duty continuously since o'clock tho previous nlteiiioon. At last their nppciHc was somewhat appeased, though plantains might not nppenl to u gourmand as the solitary Joint. "Now," derided Jenks. ".ion must rest heie a little while. Miss Denne I'm golnc back to the bench. You need not be afraid. There are no animals to tin nil you, and I will not be fur nway." "What nre you going to do on tho bench?" she detunnded. "To rescue stores, for the most part " "Mny 1 not come Willi you. I call be of some little service surely?" He answered slowly: "Please nhhga mo by remaining lieic at pro-out In less than ah hour 1 will return, nn,' then perhaps you will tiud plenty to do." She read li Is meaning intuitively and shivered. "I could not do that." son murmured. "I would faint. While you are away I will pray for them, my un fortunate friends." As he passed from her side he heard her sobbing quietly. When he reached the lagoon he halt ed suddenly. Something startled him. He was quite certain that he hud counted fourteen corp-es. Now then; weie only twelve. The two Lascars' bodies which rested on the small group of locks on the verge of the lagoon had vanished. Wheie had they gone? to nn co.vti.nukd.1 Hntift In Appetite. The so railed craving-; of appetite nra purely the result of habit. A. habit oneo acquired and pnrsi-teutly follow ed soon has us in its gra-p. and then any deviation therefrom temporarily disturbs our physiological equilibrium. The .sy-tein make- compl-Uiit, and wh experience a craving, it mny lie, for that to which tho body has become nc-eu-tomed, even 'hough this something; be in the long run distinctly injurious to the welfare of the body. There has thus come about a sentiment that the cravings of the appetite for food nrti to be fully satisfied, thnt this is merely obedience to nature's laws. This idea, however, is fundamentally wrong. Any one with a little persi-tence can chnngn his or her hnbits of life, change tho whole older of cravings, thus demon strating that the latter are purely nrti- i fieial end tint they have no necessary I connection with the welfare or need? of the body. In oilier words, dietetic j requirements are to lie founded nn' i upon so called instinct and crav.ng but upon ica-on and Intelligence.-Riw sell II. Chittenden iu Century. Tlie I'rnrllrat .loUer. See the practical joker, lie Is not much of a sight, hut still he is worth looking at us it curiosity, n- a tudy in uncommon cu etlii"-s. The practical joker is the offspring of nsiulnity run to seed. He Is what wns left over a'tci the rest of the world wns created There was a slight surplus, a inert fraction, not enough to make a com plete man, so ihe scraps were scraped up, pressed together nnd molded into n practical joker. The job was not pat euteil. Nobody thinks enough of thf, invention to patent It. You couldn't sell practical jokers for.", cents a bunch if you should stand out on the coruei and spiel till your vocal cords got tied into double bow-knots. The public K aware of tlie shell game when It sees the layout. The practical joker is an escaped idiot 'mm ilie Id'otvllle nsy luni, but lie is by no menus a harinles-j idiot. When recognized, lie should b roped forthwith and hauled back to his native and natural environment, tlnj padded cell. Portland Oregonian. nine nml lirny Tolinrrn Smnkr. Did yon ever notice while enjoy njj your favorite cigar that the smoke that curls up from the burning end of ilm "weed" is blue, while that exhaled from the mouth is of a whitish gray? The explanation of this oddity is not far to seek. Tlie wreath from the fiery end of tlie cigar Is in tlie shape of In finitesimal dust particles, and nil sncb particles (even the blue of the atmos phere Is explained iu Hie same way) re fleet the blue color. In the case of tha exhaled smoke the flue particles linvn united with the moisture of the breath and have thereby become several folds larger than those escaping direct from tho burning tobacco. This being tlie case, they have become largo enough to reflect the white light, which gives the exhaled smoke an entirely different color. A SiiBUCnllvr Sermon. The Rev. Dr. Howard, chaplain td Princess Augusta, was so fond of good living that ho ran Into debt with many) of the tradesmen iu ids parish. It was; In their special Interests tbat lie on dny preached from the text. "Havo ua Hence, nnd I will pay you all." Ha spoko at great length on tho virtues oS patience and then proceeded, "I now, come to tho second part of my dls course, which I-, 'ami I will pay you all,' but that 1 shall defer to a futurft occasion." London Standard. Every Swedish girl not born to wealth Is taught n trade of some kind.