utenant, from the break of the
poop, was carrying on the work of the ship.

"Good heavens!" exclaimed the skipper, stopping short and staring at me
as though he had seen a ghost--"is it possible? It can't be--and yet,
by Jove, it _is_--Mr Fortescue! Welcome back to the _Eros_, Mr
Fortescue; I am delighted to see you again. But where on earth have you
sprung from? From that fine brigantine that has just come in, I
imagine, since I see that the boat which brought you is returning to
her; but I mean before that. You look as though you have been having a
pretty rough time of it lately. And what of the _Dolphin_ and her crew?
We gave you all up for lost, long ago."

"And with good reason, sir," I answered. "She foundered in a hurricane
in mid-Atlantic; and I have only too much reason to fear that I alone
have survived to tell the tale."

"Ah," said the skipper, "that is bad news indeed; but the fact that you
never turned up at our rendez-vous, and that no intelligence could be
gained of you, has prepared us for it. Well, Mr Fortescue, I am afraid
I am too busy to listen to your story just now; you must therefore dine
with me and the officers of the ship to-day, and then spin us your yarn.
Meanwhile, since you seem to have returned to us flying light, without
any `dunnage,' I would recommend you to get hold of the ship's tailor
and see what he can do for you in the matter of knocking you up a
uniform. For the rest, you may take a boat and go ashore to replenish
your wardrobe, which you had better do at once, for we go to sea again
to-morrow. I have no doubt the purser will be able to let you have such
funds as you need. Now, run along and renew your acquaintance with your
shipmates; I see Mr Copplestone and one or two more glancing rather
impatiently this way, as though they were anxious to have a word or two
with you."

Touching my cap, I slipped up on to the poop, as in duty bound, to
report myself to the first lieutenant, who gave me as hearty a welcome
as the skipper had done, and then joined Copplestone, the surgeon, and
one or two others who were obviously waiting to have a word with me, and
retired with them to the gunroom, where my return was celebrated in due
form. Of course they were all exceedingly anxious to hear the story of
what had befallen me since the _Dolphin_ and the _Eros_ had parted
company; but I steadfastly refused to tell them anything beyond the bare
fact that the _Dolphin_ had gone do