hurried
down to the river bank, alongside which the other boats were now lying,
with lowered sails, evidently awaiting orders. Meanwhile Mr Perry
strode off over the ridge in the direction of the wreck.

I quickly found Mr Hoskins and delivered my message, with the result
that the entire flotilla pushed off again and headed up-stream, one of
the men having landed upon the narrow spit and ascended to its ridge in
order that he might notify the boats' crews when they should have
arrived at the spot on the seaward side of which lay the wreck; while I,
burning with curiosity to learn how the disaster had been brought about,
hurried after the skipper. As he walked, while I ran, I managed to
overtake him at the precise moment when Mr Purchase, who had been left
by Captain Harrison in charge of the ship, met him at a little distance
from the spot where the party of salvors were at work.

"Mr Purchase," said the skipper, as the two men met and halted, "I
deeply regret to inform you that Captain Harrison is dead--killed this
morning, with one other, while gallantly leading us to the attack of a
strongly defended slave barracoon. We have both bodies in the boats,
yonder, and it was my intention to have buried them at sea to-night; but
that, I perceive, is no longer possible. And now, sir, perhaps you will
be good enough to explain to me how the _Psyche_ comes to be where I see
her."

"Ah, sir!" answered Mr Purchase, removing his hat and mopping his
forehead in great perturbation of spirit, "I wish I could tell you. All
I know--all that _any_ of us knows, so far as I have been able to
ascertain--is that we were cut adrift--both cables, sir, cut through as
clean as a whistle--and allowed to drive ashore!"

"Cut adrift?" reiterated the captain incredulously. "_Cut adrift_?
Really, my dear Purchase, you must excuse me if I say that I utterly
fail to understand you. How the mischief could you possibly be cut
adrift from where you were anchored; and by whom? You surely do not
intend to insinuate that any one of the ship's company--?"

"No--no; certainly not," interrupted Purchase. "Nothing of the kind.
Let me tell you the whole yarn, Perry; then you will be as wise as
myself, and can give me your opinion of the affair, which I admit is
most extraordinary.

"Nothing in the least remarkable occurred for some hours after the boats
left the ship yesterday morning. I stood aft and watched you through
the starboard stern po