mate was steering and half
lying on the bottom of the boat, while shading his eyes with one hand
as he stared over the gunwale.

"Rouse up a bit, lad!" cried Duff, his tones quivering with excitement
and weakness. "It's a sail--a sail!"

Ralph struggled to his knees and beheld a large ship bearing down upon
them scarcely half a mile away. The sun was up, and the sky bright and
fair, with a ragged patch of cloud here and there.

"Hurray!" he cried weakly, then his head swam, and he fell back
motionless.

Duff held grimly to his post, even after consciousness had departed.
The rescuing party found him with head drooped upon his arm, while his
nerveless fingers still rested on the tiller.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Uncle Gideon.

The day was well spent when Ralph again came to his senses. He raised
his head and looked about in a half stupefied wondering way.

The lad was in a small, but well lighted stateroom, plainly yet
comfortably furnished. A grave looking, middle aged man was feeling
his pulse, while a sailor, neatly dressed in a blue jacket and white
duck trousers, stood behind with a towel over his arm and a bowl of
broth in his hand.

The other was in a navy blue uniform. The gold lace on his cap and the
shoulder straps betokened one in authority. Outside, the sun was
shining brightly, while a sound of measured tramping and an occasional
order in commanding tones, indicated something of military precision in
the surroundings.

"Where am I?" asked Ralph, noticing that his hands were rather white
and wasted.

"You are on the United States sloop of war, the Adams, homeward bound,"
replied the officer. "You were picked up six days ago, and have been
ill ever since. I am the ship's surgeon."

"Is--is----"

"Yes, Mr. Duff is well," said Dr. Barker, anticipating the boy's
inquiry; "that is except his leg, which is progressing finely. You
must not talk much--yet. We ran upon the Wanderer after picking you
up. Duff related his own adventures and yours, and gave us his
reckoning, taken just after you and he left her. We found her after a
two days' search, partially dismasted, and the blacks thoroughly cowed
by the gale. We sent her to St. Paul De Loando, where she will be
appraised and sold.

"It is likely that your share and Mr. Duff's of the prize money will be
considerable, as but for you two we would not have made the capture.
As you were deceived when shipping on her as to the object of her