u will be sustained; if you fail, you will be
disavowed." Well, as Danforth says, all that is over now, though I do
not know but I expose myself to a criminal prosecution on the evidence
of the very revelation I am making.

Here is the letter:--

"LEVANT, 2 deg. 2' S. @ 131 deg. W.

"DEAR FRED:--I try to find heart and life to tell you that it is
all over with dear old Nolan. I have been with him on this voyage
more than I ever was, and I can understand wholly now the way in
which you used to speak of the dear old fellow. I could see that he
was not strong, but I had no idea the end was so near. The doctor
has been watching him very carefully, and yesterday morning came to
me and told me that Nolan was not so well, and had not left his
state-room,--a thing I never remember before. He had let the doctor
come and see him as he lay there,--the first time the doctor had
been in the state-room,--and he said he should like to see me. O
dear! do you remember the mysteries we boys used to invent about
his room, in the old Intrepid days? Well, I went in, and there, to
be sure, the poor fellow lay in his berth, smiling pleasantly as he
gave me his hand, but looking very frail. I could not help a glance
round, which showed me what a little shrine he had made of the box
he was lying in. The stars and stripes were triced up above and
around a picture of Washington, and he had painted a majestic
eagle, with lightnings blazing from his beak and his foot just
clasping the whole globe, which his wings overshadowed. The dear
old boy saw my glance, and said, with a sad smile, 'Here, you see,
I have a country!' And then he pointed to the foot of his bed,
where I had not seen before a great map of the United States, as he
had drawn it from memory, and which he had there to look upon as he
lay. Quaint, queer old names were on it, in large letters: 'Indiana
Territory,' 'Mississippi Territory,' and 'Louisiana Territory,' as
I suppose our fathers learned such things: but the old fellow had
patched in Texas, too; he had carried his western boundary all the
way to the Pacific, but on that shore he had defined nothing.

"'O Danforth,' he said, 'I know I am dying. I cannot get home.
Surely you will tell me something now?--Stop! stop! Do not speak
till I say