o my astonishment Mr
Denning laid hands on my shoulders, and he quite broke down and sobbed,
while his words were choking and strange.

"Thank God!--thank God!" he said. "Oh, Dale, if you only knew what we
have suffered, my poor sister and I!"

"Yes, yes, it has been horrible," I said, trying to comfort him, for his
illness had made him weak as a girl; "but that's nothing to mind now.
We've thrashed the scoundrels and locked them up, and Mr Frewen has
behaved like a hero."

"Yes; and--and I'm afraid I spoke very sharply to him, but I could not
help it, Dale."

"Well, you weren't very warm to him," I said; "and he does deserve
something."

"Yes, yes," he cried hastily; "and I'll try and thank him another time.
Hush! she's coming to."

"Yes, and I mustn't stay," I cried quickly; for I was miserably
uncomfortable, and wanted to get away before Miss Denning quite came to,
and burst out sobbing and crying, as I was sure she would.

"Can't you stop--a few minutes?" he said.

"No; I must go on deck. There's everything to do, and we're
short-handed. I'll leave you the light."

"Thank you, yes," he cried, wringing my hand.

"Tell Miss Denning I'm so glad," I said hastily; and then I hurried out.
But I was no sooner outside than I remembered my message, and ran back,
to find, as I expected, that Miss Denning was sobbing on her brother's
shoulder; when to my horror she left him, and with a cry flung her arms
about my neck and kissed me.

"Oh, Alison Dale," she cried warmly, "bless you, and thank you! You
have always been like a dear good brother to us both, ever since we have
been on board."

"He has--he has," cried Mr Denning warmly, and he looked as pleased as
could be at his sister's behaviour; while as for me, I would have given
anything to be outside the cabin. For to a lad of my age, being thanked
for what I had done was painful in the extreme; and in a hurried way I
hastened to tell them my message, and briefly about how we had found
friends in the mutineers' ranks, and then of our attack and success.

But my stay was brief. We had so far mastered one enemy, but were
suffering from the attack of another, which we had ignored for a time;
while now it was impressing itself upon us all, as I soon found, in a
very serious way.

On reaching the deck, along which I had to guide myself by holding on by
the side, and catching at rope and belaying-pin, I found that the sea
had risen higher, and the wind was