hecked this mood. "Ruth!"
he said. "My God, Martin--the ship--Ruth--what has happened!"

It was like a cold blast--these words. They shocked Martin sober, blew
the stupor from his mind. "Ruth--the ship!"

"Is she--is she--" stuttered Little Billy.

"All right. So far. Carew has the ship. But there is a plan--"
Martin stopped. The plan! Good Lord, what now of the plan? He had
taken it for granted that Little Billy was on the ship, directing a
rescue. Why, Yip had passed him a note from Little Billy----

That note! Martin clapped his hand to his hip pocket.

"What is it?" cried Little Billy. "Talk to me--tell me, Martin, about
the ship--Ruth!"

Martin bent over the lantern, and unfolded the paper he had drawn from
his pocket. It was a mere scrap of paper, hurriedly and irregularly
torn from a larger sheet; on it, in Ruth's hand, was penciled a few
words.

"Grandfather has regained his sight--courage, dear--Yip has a plan.
The noon meal."

Their eyes met above the papers, Martin's kindling with understanding,
Little Billy's bewildered.

"By George, she wrote it!" exclaimed Martin. "I know--she slipped it
to Yip in the cabin, and he slipped it to me. And all the time I
thought I had a note you had written. She wrote it--Ruth!"

All of a sudden Martin realized that the hunchback's presence by his
side was a mystery. For the first time his eyes began to critically
inspect his companion. Revealed in the lantern light, Little Billy was
a truly pitiful figure, coatless, shoeless, clad only in sea-soiled
trousers and singlet. The twisted, meager frame slumped dejectedly,
the face was haggard with fatigue and worry, the eyes deep-sunken,
distrait.

"What happened, Billy? You--how did you get ashore?" began Martin.

"Swam," was the succinct reply. "Never mind me. Just now, you talk.
What are conditions aboard? How many of us are left? The note--the
plan--to retake the ship?"

"Yes, I think so. The crew--I'll explain, Billy. But this place--"
The distant roar was audible again, and, despite himself, Martin fell
to trembling. "Let us get out of here," he urged Little Billy. "Back
to the beach--where we can see the ship."

"We can't show ourselves on the beach," said the Other. "Winters'
cave--did you discover it?"

Martin nodded. The dry cave overhead--that was the place. He did not
relish recrossing the ledge by the chasm edge at that moment; he did
not think he could do it without