ome out with a bit of a yarn, as he
called it.

"Yes," he said, putting carefully down the glass that was handed to him,
"it was a great battle, was that. The country lost a fine ship there,
and many a brave lad to boot. But God's curse hangs over the man that
piloted the Englishman in to the Sand Islands--although none here, while
he was alive, knew his name. It was said he soon after made an end of
himself through remorse, like Judas Iscariot. However that may be, at
the mouth of the channel there is a flat sunk rock that a man in his
sea-boots can stand on at low water, and there they see him on moonlight
nights making piteous signs for help, until the water at last comes over
his head, and he disappears. God help the man that'll row out to
him--it's always foul weather when he is to be seen."

"Have you ever seen him yourself, Jacob?" asked Carl Beck.

"I'll not say that I have, and I'll not say that I haven't. But I know
that the last time I was off those islands, we had such tremendous
weather that we thought ourselves lucky in making any port at all."

For a while every one was busied with the thoughts which Jacob's recital
had suggested, and there was a solemn pause, which was broken by Carl
Beck's striking up another song to keep off sleep:--

"Before the wind and a flowing sail,
Vessels for every port!
In letters of gold a dear girl's name
On every stern inwrought!
The vessel may sail the world around,
But with her the girls will still be found!
Hurrah! then, boys, for the one of your mind,
That never, oh, never, you'll leave behind."

He repeated the last couplet with a gay inclination of his glass to the
ladies, who were sitting now tired and huddled together on the bench,
and over their heads to Elizabeth, who was standing in the background,
awake enough for both of them. The light from the fire fell upon his
handsome brown face, with the raven black curly hair, and the dark eyes
that it was said he had inherited from his recently deceased mother, who
was from Brest; and with his flow of animal spirits, that sufficed for
the whole party almost, he certainly was as manly and handsome a lad as
you would wish to meet.

The wind by this time had gone down considerably; and, as day was
breaking, the whole party were in the boat once more and enjoying a
quiet sleep as they sailed. It was long, though, before Elizabeth could
get out of her thoughts