lling helpers in bringing up the packages, but it
was too late to distribute them. Before leaving John said: "You have not
told us your name."

"I was christened Ephraim Wilmar."

John seized him by the hands, as he said: "And was your father's name
William?"

"Yes," said Ephraim, as his great eyes grew still bigger. "Did you know
him?"

"I knew him well; he died about thirty years ago. He was my father's
friend."

This information established a bond of friendship between the two.

"I have forgotten to take note of time, and I may be out a year or two
in my reckoning," continued Ephraim, "but according to the best
information I have this must be the year 1911."

"You are short one year; it is now 1912."

"Then let me see! We sailed from China in January, 1860; and during that
same month the ship went down. From that time to the present I have no
idea of what has taken place."

"Then you know nothing of the four years' war between the North and the
South?"

"No; I remember there was some trouble about the slaves, or something of
that sort before we left China."

"But there are no more slaves in the United States."

"You surprise me! Then they were freed by the war?"

"Yes; and Cuba is also free, and is now a republic, and the Hawaiian
Islands belong to the United States, as also do the Philippines."

"That does not seem possible. Why, if I remember correctly Cuba and the
Philippines belonged to Spain. When did the United States purchase
them?"

"We had a war with Spain, and we took the Spanish possessions, as well
as Porto Rico. Manila was captured three days after war was declared."

"Three days after war was declared! How could our fleet, which must have
been half the way around the world, get the news that war had been
declared in that time?"

"The commander of our fleet at Hongkong, was notified by telegraph."

"How could that be done without a telegraph line? Over what part of the
earth are the lines now running?"

"Everywhere; but there are many running under the sea and are called
_cable lines_."

Ephraim looked at John for a moment, as though he doubted the meaning of
the words just uttered, and then slowly inquired: "That must be a
remarkable thing. I do not see how it would be possible to string wires
under the sea."

"They are encased in water tight coverings, and some of the lines are
four thousand miles long. But nowadays we do not need wires for
telegraphing."

The deformed fi