y and Mr Hastings sometimes came near to the fire and joined in the
conversation, though they more frequently sat at a little distance,
listening to what was going forward, and often not a little amused by
the remarks of their companions.

They were thus seated when the evening meal having been served out, the
men as usual amused each other by narrating their adventures. Jack was
appealed to, to give his, for he was supposed to have gone through more
than the rest.

"Do you mean, mates, how I got away from the Malays, and was wrecked on
this island?" he asked.

"No, no, Jacob has been telling us that you were wrecked long before
that time, and had to live among savages ever so long," answered one of
the men. "Can't you begin at the beginning; let us hear all about
yourself since you first came to sea."

Jack at first modestly apologised for talking about himself, but in a
short time Harry heard him giving an account of his early days when he
first found himself on board a ship, knowing no more about the sea than
did one of the sheep of the flock he had been wont to attend. He went
on exciting the interest of his hearers till he arrived at that part of
his history which he had already given to Harry.

"You see, mates, as I wanted to part from the skipper, and the skipper
wanted to part from me, I was not sorry to ship on board another craft,
little thinking what was about to happen to her. She had a strange
name, had that craft, so strange that neither I nor any one else, I
should think, could manage to speak it."

Jack then went on to describe how the little boy had been brought on
board, how the mate seemed to have especial dislike to the child, and
then how the vessel was wrecked.

Mr Hastings who had before been lying down, sat up, and bending
forward, listened with the greatest attention to what Jack was saying.

Suddenly he exclaimed in a tone of the deepest interest, rising and
coming up to Jack, "Was the name of the craft you sailed in the
_Bomanjee Horrmarjee_?"

"That was the name, sir," exclaimed Jack, "and if you are not the
gentleman who brought the little boy aboard, you are just like him,
though to be sure as a good many years have passed since then, that
would make the difference."

"I am the person you suppose, and the father of the little boy; and tell
me, my friend, was he saved from the wreck? Is he still alive? What
has become of him?"

"This is indeed wonderful," exclaimed Harry,