no sensations of hunger or thirst. She was surprised
to find herself still alive. All she remembered was the terrible
explosion, the frenzied scramble for the boats, and then all at once she
found herself in the water, swimming, trying to keep herself afloat. How
she reached the shore she did not know. A man had caught her as she was
sinking, and in a vague sort of way she thought he was one of the crew.
She wondered where she was and why her body ached so. The air chilled
her bare shoulders. She shivered, moaned, and opened her eyes.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, advancing.

This abrupt breaking of the long silence by the sound of a human voice
seemed strange to her. She thought she was dreaming, and she smiled
faintly at the absurdity of it.

"Are you hurt?" he demanded, again stooping over her.

She turned her gaze wonderingly on Armitage. In the uncertain light it
was difficult to get a good view of his face. He seemed a stranger to
her. From him, her eyes wandered inquiringly round the cave.

"Where am I?" she asked, in a low voice.

"On an island," he replied shortly. "The steamer's lost. Only you and I
were saved."

She turned white, and her breath came and went quickly. Then she caught
sight of her torn gown, and quickly she covered herself modestly, a
faint flush overspreading her pale face. She continued to stare at
Armitage, as if he reminded her of some one she had seen before.
Puzzled, she passed her hand over her eyes as if trying to remember.

"Who are you?" she said finally. "Where have I seen you before?"

He shifted uneasily on his feet and looked away, avoiding her scrutiny.
Why should she know that he had been one of the poor devils in the
stoke-hole? Perhaps she already recognized him as the deserter who was
so unceremoniously dragged on board ship in New York Harbor. Gruffly he
answered:

"I was swimming. I heard you cry out. I brought you in--that's all."

"You were one of the crew?"

He nodded.

"Yes--one of the crew."

"How can I thank you!" she exclaimed. "My father is rich. He will reward
you."

He laughed harshly.

"Money isn't much good here. You don't realize where we are. Every one's
gone but we--all are drowned. We're as good as dead. We're a thousand
miles from the mainland--with no means of getting away and no food.
There's little chance of being sighted by a passing ship, for the storm
had blown us out of the regular steamer track." Brutally, he added: "You
might as w