rse for the encounter beyond
feeling sulky at his discomfiture.

He now for the first time took a good look at Eric, who had also risen
to his feet, the excitement of the encounter having made him forget his
pain and weakness.

"Humph! rather a likely lad," he grunted. "But he may give us trouble
some time. Have you thought of that, Ben?"

"No; but it doesn't matter," answered Ben. "I'll warrant for his not
getting us into trouble. We can manage that all right when the time
comes."

"Humph! maybe. But it's a risk, all the same," returned Evil-Eye.
"But come, we must be off. We've lost too much time already."

The all-prevailing gloom of the day was already deepening into the
early dark of late autumn as the three set off across the sands. The
spray that the storm tore from the crests of the billows dashed in
their faces as they advanced. Eric could not have gone far had not Ben
thrown his brawny arm around him, and almost carried him along. Prince
trotted quietly at his heels, having quite regained his composure, and
resigned himself to the situation.

In this fashion they had gone some distance, and Evil-Eye, who had kept
a little ahead, was about to turn off to the right toward the interior
of the island, when Prince suddenly sniffed the air eagerly, threw up
his head with a curious cry, half whine, half bark, and then bounded
away in the direction of the water. Eric stopped to watch him, and
following him closely with his eyes, saw that he ran up to a dark
object that lay stretched out upon the sand, about fifty yards away.
The dog touched it with his nose, and then, lifting his head, gave a
long, weird howl, that so startled Eric as to make him forget his
weariness. Breaking away from Ben, who, indeed, made no effort to
detain him, he hastened over to see what Prince had found.

Darkness was coming on, but before he had got half way to the object he
could make out that it was a human body, and a few steps nearer made it
plain that the body was that of Major Maunsell.

Horror-stricken, yet hoping that the major might still be living, Eric
rushed forward, and throwing himself down beside the motionless form,
cried passionately,--

"Major Maunsell! What's the matter? Can't you look up? Oh, surely
you're not dead!"

But the major made no response. Beyond all doubt his body was cold in
death, and as Eric looked upon the white, set face, he saw that his
cries were useless, and that his dear, ki