ay," said
he, addressing Irons; "can you settle it for us?"

The Englishman looked at the captain in an odd way and replied:

"I haven't the remotest idea of what day in the week it is, nor what is
the month. It seems four years ago that I was left here, but I am not
sure of it. Will you please give me the year and month?"

"This is April, 1889."

The Englishman bent his head for a few minutes in deep thought. He was
recalling the past, with its singular incidents of his career. When he
looked up he said:

"Yes; it is four years and more since I was abandoned, and if you stay
that long you will be content to remain all your lives."

The captain shook his head, and his eyes were dimmed as he replied:

"I never could forget the loved ones at home, Irons; I would prefer
death at once to a lingering imprisonment here."

"Well, I am going to help you all to leave just as soon as it can be
done. I understand how you feel, and sympathize with you."

The Englishman proved himself the most valuable kind of a friend. The
authority which he possessed over these savage South Sea Islanders was
stretched to the utmost, but he never hesitated to employ it. But for
his presence the Americans would have been put to death within a few
hours at most of their arrival on the mainland, and without his aid it
would have been impossible for them ever to have gotten away.

When everything was in shape, Irons hired a canoe of the natives for
the use of his friends. The craft was not large enough to contain all
the party, and since all real peril had passed, there was no fear in
following the course that had been agreed upon.

Captain Gooding, second mate Harrison; and one of the sailors left
Poseat in the canoe, first mate Watchman and his six companions
remaining on the island. This was ten days after the loss of the
_Tewksbury Sweet_.

Captain Gooding and all the sailors were in the best of spirits, for
they were confident that their wearisome captivity was substantially
over. The three made their way from island to island, stopping at
eight different points, sometimes for days, and even weeks. Finally
they arrived at Ruk, where they found a missionary station, and
received the most hospitable treatment.

The good men owned a boat abundantly large enough to carry twenty
persons, and the captain asked its use with which to bring the rest of
his crew from Poseat. This was asking more than would be supposed, for
the mi