hip. There was no blaming anybody; but, at
the same time, there was no resisting the fact that the man was missing.

"All through that day the storm, raging unabatedly, never gave us even
the shadow of a chance of returning and searching the wreck. The one
hope for the yacht was to scud. Toward evening the gale, after having
carried us to the southward of Madeira, began at last to break--the wind
shifted again--and allowed us to bear up for the island. Early the next
morning we got back into port. Mr. Blanchard and his daughter were taken
ashore, the sailing-master accompanying them, and warning us that he
should have something to say on his return which would nearly concern
the whole crew.

"We were mustered on deck, and addressed by the sailing-master as soon
as he came on board again. He had Mr. Blanchard's orders to go back at
once to the timber-ship and to search for the missing man. We were bound
to do this for his sake, and for the sake of his wife, whose reason was
despaired of by the doctors if something was not done to quiet her. We
might be almost sure of finding the vessel still afloat, for her ladling
of timber would keep her above water as long as her hull held together.
If the man was on board--living or dead--he must be found and brought
back. And if the weather continued to be moderate, there was no reason
why the men, with proper assistance, should not bring the ship back,
too, and (their master being quite willing) earn their share of the
salvage with the officers of the yacht.

"Upon this the crew gave three cheers, and set to work forthwith to get
the schooner to sea again. I was the only one of them who drew back
from the enterprise. I told them the storm had upset me--I was ill, and
wanted rest. They all looked me in the face as I passed through them on
my way out of the yacht, but not a man of them spoke to me.

"I waited through that day at a tavern on the port for the first
news from the wreck. It was brought toward night-fall by one of the
pilot-boats which had taken part in the enterprise--a successful
enterprise, as the event proved--for saving the abandoned ship. _La
Grace de Dieu_ had been discovered still floating, and the body of
Ingleby had been found on board, drowned in the cabin. At dawn the next
morning the dead man was brought back by the yacht; and on the same day
the funeral took place in the Protestant cemetery."

"Stop!" said the voice from the bed, before the reader coul