ion in the darkness, one who was nearly as
much stunned as I, for he moved no more, but lay holding on by my left
hand, and for a time I was content to listen to the savage roar of the
wind. But at last, as my brain worked and I mastered the sensation of
horror, I began to feel about again with my right hand, till I touched
the same cold, wet object I had encountered before.

It was an arm, quite bare and cold; while now I could not withdraw my
hand, but lay trembling and shuddering, till I felt that perhaps I was
not right--that any one lying dead would not feel like that; and my hand
glided down to the wrist.

I knew nothing about feeling pulses only from having seen a doctor do
so, but by chance my fingers fell naturally in the right place in the
hollow just above the wrist joint, and a thrill of exultation ran
through me, for I could distinctly feel a tremulous beating, and I knew
that my imagination had played me false--that the man was not dead.

CHAPTER FORTY ONE.

AFTER THE TYPHOON.

The repugnance and horror gave way to a sensation of joy. Here was
another companion in misfortune, alive and ready to share the terrible
trouble with us, but who was it?

I tried to withdraw my left hand from Ching's grasp; but as soon as he
felt it going, he clung to it spasmodically, and it was only by a sharp
effort that I dragged it away, and turned to the side of my other
companion, and began to touch him. There was the bare arm, but that was
no guide; the face helped me no more; but the torn remnants of his
clothes told me it was not Mr Brooke, and my heart sank. I felt again,
and my hand encountered a drawn-up leg, and then I touched a bandage.
It was Tom Jecks, who had been wounded by the fire from the junk.

I could learn no more. I tried to speak; I shouted; but he made no
sign, and I could not even hear my own cries. The darkness remained
profound, and the deafening roar of the wind kept on without cessation.

But, feeling more myself at last, I determined to crawl about a little,
and find out whether any more of our crew were near us. Then I
hesitated; but, summoning courage, I crept on my hands and knees, passed
Ching, and then crouched down nearly flat, for I had crept to where the
shelter ceased, and to have gone on would have been to be swept away.

To test this I raised one hand, and in an instant I suffered quite a
jerk, and each time I repeated the experiment I felt more and more that
to leav