ng the pages, I found to be filled with writing in a
foreign language.

Turning from the bed place I was again attracted by the man's
sparkling ring. I gently opened the hand and drew the ring from the
thin finger, and as I did so a small gold locket dropped from the
hand. It contained the painted portrait of a very beautiful girl
with fair hair and fine blue eyes. I looked in strange admiration
at the face. It had probably been the last object the dead man had
seen. With a feeling of reverence I put the locket back into his
hand. But with feelings that were less reverent I placed the
diamond ring on my own finger, and took possession of the notebook.
These, with the charts and the log book of the man in the after
cabin, I carried on board the Falcon.

That afternoon I chanced to look overboard at the Pilgrim's
waterline. She had sunk at least three more inches. I felt that,
whatever happened to myself and the schooner, the Pilgrim at least
would never again reach port, and I determined to save from the
vessel what articles might be of use to me in case I should be able
to return to land. I therefore went on board again and took
possession of the ship's papers, some firearms and cabin furniture,
a number of English books, and a small chest that I found in the
captain's room.

The wind had fallen almost to a dead calm very soon after I had
come alongside the Pilgrim, and I had thus been able to keep the
two vessels together without any difficulty. But that afternoon as
I sat before my fire reading a book on navigation--that part of it
relating to the art of taking an observation on the sun, moon, and
stars--the schooner listed over to larboard, as though the wind had
caught her sails. I rushed up on deck and found that a strong
breeze was blowing from the northwest, and was filling the sails of
both vessels. The Pilgrim, indeed, was sailing with considerable
speed, dragging the schooner along with her.

I ran forward and cast off the rope that held us together. Not too
soon, for the barque was leaning over on her port side and visibly
settling down.

As speedily as I could I trimmed the schooner's sails and got her
free. She took the wind bravely, and I left the Pilgrim to leeward.
I watched her struggling on the gradually rising waves as she
tossed about aimlessly for the space of about half an hour. Then I
saw her bows dip deep into the water and her stern rise high,
while, with a heavy plunge and a surging sou