ogether!"

He knocked loudly on the door with his fist. A murmur of voices stopped
suddenly, and, in response to a gruff command from within, he opened the
door and stood staring at all three of his victims, who were seated at
the table playing whist with Captain Bowers.

The three gentlemen stared back in return. Tredgold and Chalk had half
risen from their seats; Mr. Stobell, with both arms on the table, leaned
forward, and regarded him open-mouthed.

"Good evening, gentlemen all," said Captain Brisket, in a hearty voice.

He stepped forward, and seizing Mr. Chalk's hand wrung it fervently.

"It's good for sore eyes to see you again, sir," he said. "Look at him,
Peter!"

Mr. Duckett, ignoring this reflection on his personal appearance, stepped
quietly inside the door, and stood smiling nervously at the company.

"It's him," said the staring Mr. Stobell, drawing a deep breath. "It's
Brisket."

He pushed his chair back and, rising slowly from the table, confronted
him. Captain Brisket, red-faced and confident, stared up at him
composedly.

"It's Brisket," said Mr. Stobell again, in a voice of deep content.
"Turn the key in that door, Chalk."

Mr. Chalk hesitated, but Brisket, stepping to the door, turned the key
and, placing it on the table, returned to his place by the side of the
mate. Except for a hard glint in his eye his face still retained its
smiling composure.

"And now," said Stobell, "you and me have got a word or two to say to
each other. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing your ugly face since--"

"Since the disaster," interrupted Tredgold, loudly and hastily.

"Since the----"

Mr. Stobell suddenly remembered. For a few moments he stood irresolute,
and then, with an extraordinary contortion of visage, dropped into his
chair again and sat gazing blankly before him.

"Me and Peter Duckett only landed to-day," said Brisket, "and we came on
to see you by the first train we could--"

"I know," said Tredgold, starting up and taking his hand, "and we're
delighted to see you are safe. And Mr. Duckett?--"

He found Mr. Duckett's hand after a little trouble--the owner seeming to
think that he wanted it for some unlawful purpose--and shook that.
Captain Brisket, considerably taken aback by this performance, gazed at
him with suspicion.

"You didn't go down with your ship, then, after all," said Captain
Bowers, who had been looking on with much interest.

Amazement held Brisket dumb. H