his hammock, ran to the window, lifted the sash,
leaned out, and recognised it.

The funnel of the Durande stood before him.

It was in the old place.

Its four chains supported it, made fast to the bulwarks of a vessel in
which, beneath the funnel, he could distinguish a dark mass of irregular
outline.

Lethierry recoiled, turned his back to the window, and dropped in a
sitting posture into his hammock again.

Then he returned, and once more he saw the vision.

An instant afterwards, or in about the time occupied by a flash of
lightning, he was out upon the quay, with a lantern in his hand.

A bark carrying a little backward a massive block from which issued the
straight funnel before the window of the Bravees, was made fast to the
mooring-ring of the Durande. The bows of the bark stretched beyond the
corner of the wall of the house, and were level with the quay.

There was no one aboard.

The vessel was of a peculiar shape. All Guernsey would have recognised
it. It was the old Dutch sloop.

Lethierry jumped aboard; and ran forward to the block which he saw
beyond the mast.

It was there, entire, complete, intact, standing square and firm upon
its cast-iron flooring; the boiler had all its rivets, the axle of the
paddle-wheels was raised erect, and made fast near the boiler; the
brine-pump was in its place; nothing was wanting.

Lethierry examined the machinery.

The lantern and the moon helped him in his examination. He went over
every part of the mechanism.

He noticed the two cases at the sides. He examined the axle of the
wheels.

He went into the little cabin; it was empty.

He returned to the engine, and felt it, looked into the boiler, and
knelt down to examine it inside.

He placed his lantern within the furnace, where the light, illuminating
all the machinery, produced almost the illusion of an engine-room with
its fire.

Then he burst into a wild laugh, sprang to his feet, and with his eye
fixed on the engine, and his arms outstretched towards the funnel, he
cried aloud, "Help."

The harbour bell was upon the quay, at a few paces distance. He ran to
it, seized the chain, and began to pull it violently.

II

THE HARBOUR BELL AGAIN

Gilliatt, in fact, after a passage without accident, but somewhat slow
on account of the heavy burden of the sloop, had arrived at St. Sampson
after dark, and nearer ten than nine o'clock.

He had calculated the time. The half-flood had arriv