e in Wales, as he was so near, and in spite
of strong protestations on the part of the captain he resigned his
post. There was great rejoicing in the little village when he
unexpectedly made his appearance. The news of the mutiny aboard the
_Pacific_, and the tragic end of the captain, officers, and part of
the crew preceded him. His family had blamed him for leaving at
Iquique. They now said he had been guided by a strange but merciful
Providence to his old home. He told the eager listeners of the family
circle many tales of daring adventure as they sat in the cosy room by
the fire, but whenever the gruesome figure of the dead man in the
wardrobe crossed his mind he became reticent and pensive. These
lapses did not go unnoticed, and he was often pressed for the cause of
so sudden a change from mirth to sullen silence.

"I will tell you what it is," said he; "a corpse is the cause."

And then he told them all about it. James Leigh's change of life,
manner, and habits dated from the dreaded night when he saw with his
own eyes the ghastly figure of what he believed to be a murdered man.
From being a roving, reckless, devil-may-care sailor, he settled into
a steady, ambitious, capable man. He married a Welsh girl after his
own heart, and forgot all about the daughter of the old Spaniard, who,
if subsequent accounts were correct, pined for his return to Chili.
Mrs. Leigh resented any allusion to the Spanish maiden. She always
reminded her husband that people should marry their own countrywomen,
and that instead of thinking of her he should be using his mind in
attaining that knowledge that would enable him to reach the height of
his profession. He was not long in satisfying the lady's ambition and
his own. In less than five years from leaving the Yankee ship he was
in command of a smart, up-to-date English steamer, trading between
Mozambique and Zanzibar, trafficking in slaves and other merchandise.
He made heaps of money for his owners, and was gifted with an aptitude
for never neglecting himself in matters of finance. In due course the
trade collapsed, and he was ordered to bring his vessel home. By this
time his savings from several sources had accumulated to a decent
little fortune, and with it he resolved to start business on his own
account. He sought the aid of a few friends, and was enabled to
purchase a small steamer. It was while he was on a visit to this
much-boasted-of craft that he came across Shorty at a fair