s sake."

He did not answer at once; he seemed to be thinking very
deeply;--Carmen anxiously scanned his impassive face.

--"Who knows?" he answered, at last;--"who knows? Perhaps she has
ceased to belong to any one else."

One after another, Feliu's luggers fluttered in,--bearing with them
news of the immense calamity. And all the fishermen, in turn, looked
at the child. Not one had ever seen her before.

V.

Ten days later, a lugger full of armed men entered the bayou, and
moored at Viosca's wharf. The visitors were, for the most part,
country gentlemen,--residents of Franklin and neighboring towns, or
planters from the Teche country,--forming one of the numerous
expeditions organized for the purpose of finding the bodies of
relatives or friends lost in the great hurricane, and of punishing the
robbers of the dead. They had searched numberless nooks of the coast,
had given sepulture to many corpses, had recovered a large amount of
jewelry, and--as Feliu afterward learned,--had summarily tried and
executed several of the most abandoned class of wreckers found with
ill-gotten valuables in their possession, and convicted of having
mutilated the drowned. But they came to Viosca's landing only to obtain
information;--he was too well known and liked to be a subject for
suspicion; and, moreover, he had one good friend in the crowd,--Captain
Harris of New Orleans, a veteran steamboat man and a market contractor,
to whom he had disposed of many a cargo of fresh pompano, sheep's-head,
and Spanish-mackerel ... Harris was the first to step to land;--some
ten of the party followed him. Nearly all had lost some relative or
friend in the great catastrophe;--the gathering was serious,
silent,--almost grim,--which formed about Feliu.

Mateo, who had come to the country while a boy, spoke English better
than the rest of the cheniere people;--he acted as interpreter whenever
Feliu found any difficulty in comprehending or answering questions; and
he told them of the child rescued that wild morning, and of Feliu's
swim. His recital evoked a murmur of interest and excitement, followed
by a confusion of questions. Well, they could see for themselves,
Feliu said; but he hoped they would have a little patience;--the child
was still weak;--it might be dangerous to startle her. "We'll arrange
it just as you like," responded the captain;--"go ahead, Feliu!" ...

All proceeded to the house, under the great trees; Feliu and Capt