thing about it, monsieur. We are happy to have saved such a
brave young man, and to have rescued two victims from those monsters."

"Do you think there is any danger of anyone here taking the news
of our landing to the town?" Harry asked. "They must have seen us
come up to the cottage."

"There is no fear," Pierre said confidently. "There is not a man
or woman here who would not tear the _scelerats_ to pieces if they
had the chance. Have they not spoiled our market by killing all
our best customers? And now how are we to earn our living, I should
like to know? Why, not even the poorest beggar in Nantes would buy
fish out of the river for months after this. No, you need have no
fear of them. They may guess who you are, but it is no business of
theirs, and they will hold their tongues."

"At anyrate, Pierre, you had better distribute a few crowns among
them, to help them live till the fishing is good again."

"That I will do, monsieur. It is quite safe; but it is as well to
make it even safer."

In half an hour Pierre's wife came in from the inner room, and said
that both girls were sound asleep.

"Now, Adolphe, it only remains for you to arrange with your captain
for our passage."

"That I will do this afternoon," Adolphe said confidently. "Consider
it as good as done."

After Adolphe had started for the town, Harry was persuaded by
Pierre to lie down for a bit; but he soon gave up the idea of going
to sleep. His brain was in a whirl from the events of the last
twenty-four hours, and above all he felt so brimming over with
happiness that the girls had been saved that he soon found it
impossible to lie still. He therefore went down again and joined
Pierre, who was doing some repairs to his boat.

"It is no use my trying to sleep, Pierre. I am too delighted that
everything has turned out right. I want to break out into shouting
and singing."

"I can understand, monsieur. Yes, yes. After great trouble great
joy. I know it myself. I was once adrift in a boat for three weeks.
I was on a voyage to Guadaloupe when we were blown in a hurricane
on a 'key,' as they call the low sandy islands out there. It was
in fact no more than a sand-bank. More than half of those on board
were drowned; but eight of us got ashore, and we managed to haul
up a woman with her child of two years old in her arms.

"We thought at first the mother was dead, but she came round.
The ship went to pieces and we saved nothing. The currents