irls get sore feet.

At our next interview, thanks to Yamba's good offices, both girls were
looking very much better than when I first saw them; and then, consumed
with natural curiosity and a great desire to learn something of the
outside world, I begged them to tell me their story.

The first thing I learnt was that they were two sisters, named Blanche
and Gladys Rogers, their respective ages being nineteen and seventeen
years. Both girls were extremely pretty, the particular attraction about
Gladys being her lovely violet eyes. It was Blanche who, with much
hysterical emotion, told me the story of their painful experience, Gladys
occasionally prompting her sister with a few interpolated words.

Here, then, is Blanche Rogers's story, told as nearly as possible in her
own words. Of course it is absurd to suppose that I can reproduce
_verbatim_ the fearful story told by the unfortunate girl.

"My sister and I are the daughters of Captain Rogers, who commanded a 700-
ton barque owned by our uncle." [I am not absolutely certain whether the
girls were the daughters of the captain or the owner.--L. de R.] "We
were always very anxious, even as children, to accompany our dear father
on one of his long trips, and at length we induced him to take us with
him when he set sail from Sunderland [not certain, this] in the year 1868
[or 1869], with a miscellaneous cargo bound for Batavia [or Singapore].
The voyage out was a very pleasant one, but practically without
incident--although, of course, full of interest to us. The ship
delivered her freight in due course, but our father failed to obtain a
return cargo to take back with him to England. Now, as a cargo of some
kind was necessary to clear the expenses of the voyage, father decided to
make for Port Louis, in Mauritius, to see what he could do among the
sugar-exporters there.

"On the way to Port Louis, we suddenly sighted a ship flying signals of
distress. We at once hove to and asked what assistance we could render.
A boat presently put off from the distressed vessel, and the captain, who
came aboard, explained that he had run short of provisions and wanted a
fresh supply--no matter how small--to tide him over his difficulty. He
further stated that his vessel was laden with guano, and was also _en
route_ for Port Louis. The two captains had a long conversation
together, in the course of which an arrangement was arrived at between
them.

"We said we were in ball