ave passed the word round, but--he didn't."

"Ah!" remarked the _Bolivia's_ chief, with deep meaning. "Were you by
any chance trying to break the record?"

"Well," answered Dick, "I believe the skipper had some such idea in his
mind. You see we've had the most perfect weather all the way; little or
no wind, and water like glass; the ship reeling off her
twenty-six-and-a-half knots as steadily as clockwork, and everything
going beautifully. I certainly did get a hint that Captain Prowse would
like to set up a new record--"

"Exactly!" concurred Urquhart, dryly. "That, to my mind, explains
everything. Your skipper got our warning--and simply suppressed it. He
was out after a new record, and was willing to `take a chance,' as the
Americans say. And here is the result--a brand-new ship gone to the
bottom, and, I suppose, hundreds of lives lost. How many did you
muster, all told?"

"I couldn't say, exactly," answered Dick, "but probably not far short of
three thousand."

"Yes; there you are!" commented Urquhart. "Three thousand; and boats
for only about half of 'em. What became of your skipper? Went down
with his ship, I expect."

"I'm afraid so," answered Dick. "In fact, I should not be very greatly
surprised if it should prove that I am the only surviving officer."

"That so? And how did you manage to escape?" demanded Urquhart.

Whereupon Dick launched forth into the full story of the disaster. But
before he had nearly finished, the boat arrived alongside the _Bolivia_,
and her freight, whether living or dead, was quickly passed up on deck
to the waiting doctor, who quickly distributed the units here and there
about the ship, while the boat departed upon a further quest.

Dick and Earle, being both very little the worse for their adventure,
were first taken below and given a hot bath; then they were led to a
vacant passenger cabin, packed in hot blankets, and given a certain
nauseous draught which quickly threw them into a profuse perspiration
and a deep sleep, from which they emerged, some hours later, not a penny
the worse for their adventure.

CHAPTER THREE.

EARLE'S PROPOSITION TO DICK CAVENDISH.

It was the rays of the newly risen sun shining in through the open port
that awakened Dick Cavendish on the morning following his great
adventure. He was occupying the upper bunk in the cabin, and the first
sound to greet his ears was the deep, regular breathing of the still
sleeping Earle i