ts were kept and opened the doors.

"Out wid ye!" he cried, "the Act of Emancipation's passed, and ye're all
free--ivery mother's son of ye."

Accustomed to his voice and his caressing hand, the astonished creatures
seemed to look up at him in surprise.

"Be aff, at wance, hooroo!" cried the excited man, with a clap of his
hands and a Donnybrook yell that sent all the "pets" leaping and
squealing into their native jungle.

Soon after that the boat was bounding out to sea under the impulse of
strong arms and willing hearts. A few minutes more, and they were
receiving the warm congratulations of the passengers and crew of the
steamer. Then the order was given to go ahead full speed, and the
engine's great heart seemed to throb sympathetically within the hearts
of the rescued ones as the vessel cut her way swiftly through the
Southern Ocean--homeward bound for Old England! Nevertheless, there was
a touch of sadness in the breasts of all as they turned their farewell
gaze on the receding island and thought of the pets, the old hut, the
long period of mingled pleasure and suffering, and the lonely grave.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

We cannot part from the friends whose footsteps we have followed so long
and so far without a parting word or two.

On returning to his native village, Bob Massey found that his successor
as coxswain had died, and that another man had not yet been appointed to
the lifeboat--he was therefore installed, with much rejoicing, in his
old position as a rescuer of human lives. Joe Slag, naturally and
pleasantly, also fell into his old post at the bow. Nellie found that
Aunt Betty had had what the villagers called "a stroke" during her
absence; which crushing blow had the effect of opening her eyes to many
things regarding herself and others, to which she had been particularly
blind before. It also had the effect--indirectly--of subduing much of
the evil in her character and bringing out much of the good. As evil
begets evil, so good begets good; and one result of this law was, that
the seven children, whom she had brought--or banged--up, became seven
repentant and sympathetic and reasonably good creatures when they saw
the old mother, whom they used to think so harsh and so physically
strong, reduced to amiable helplessness. Thus it came to pass that
there was not in all the village an old woman who was so well looked
after by her progeny as A