r own special crew, she was soon on her way back to the scene
of the wreck of the _Nancy Bell_--McCarthy steering her, and Frank
Harness, who would not relinquish his privilege of going in her after
having been the first to volunteer, pulling the stroke-oar, no idlers
being wanted on board. Kate looked at him and waved her hand in adieu
as the boat topped the heavy rolling waves and got well out into the
offing; and, after that, Frank did not mind what exertion he had to go
through.

It was a long pull and an arduous one, although, in spite of Mr
McCarthy's warning to the contrary, there was nothing dangerous in the
accomplishment of the feat. The first mate had probably felt a little
lazy when he endeavoured to set Mr Meldrum at first against the
expedition, for after a couple of hours' hard work, having the tide to
contend with most of the way, they easily managed to approach the reef
and bring up the boat under the vessel's stern, where the side ropes and
slung chair, which they had omitted to remove on board the raft remained
just as they had left them, swinging about to and fro as the wind
brushed by, causing them to oscillate with its breath.

On climbing up to the deck, they found the poop pretty much the same,
but the forward portion of the ship had all broken to pieces, hardly a
timber being left, save part of the forefoot or cut-water, which had got
jammed in between the rocks along with the anchor-stock, the heavy mass
of iron belonging to which must have fallen down below the surface when
the topgallant forecastle was washed away.

Going down into the cuddy, Frank could hardly at first believe that its
former tenants had quitted it for good and all, for the cabin doors were
thrown wide open, and dresses and other articles of feminine attire
scattered about--one special shawl of Kate's, which he readily
recognised as the one she had on her shoulders the night they had
watched the stars together in the South Atlantic, being placed over the
back of the captain's chair at the head of the table, as if the owner
had just put it down for a minute and was coming back to fetch it. He
at once took charge of this, besides collecting sundry other little
articles which he thought Kate might want; but he was soon interrupted
in his quest of feminine treasure-hunting by a mewing and scratching at
the door of the steward's pantry, which made him recollect all at once
what had been the ostensible object of his mission o