f my body--the physical suffering attendant upon the returning tide of
life being actually much greater than that experienced while I was
undergoing the process of drowning.

"That's right," returned he, in a cheery tone of voice; "I am glad to
hear it, as every man in the ship will be. You have performed a right
gallant action, and I am sure you will be glad to know that your efforts
have not been in vain. The poor fellow whom you rescued is alive, and
likely to do well."

I felt too weak to make any reply to this gratifying speech, a fact
which the doctor instantly perceived, for he turned to the skipper and
remarked, "With your permission, sir, we will now leave the lad in quiet
to sleep off his exhaustion. I will just mix him a simple restorative,
while your steward tucks him in and makes him comfortable for the night;
after which I think we may safely leave the rest to nature, though, of
course, I shall look in upon both of my patients from time to time, so
as to make quite sure that they are going on all right."

If the worthy medico fulfilled his promise to "look in" upon me during
the night--and I feel quite sure he did--I was blissfully unconscious of
the fact, for under the soothing influence of the restorative draught,
and the warmth of the blankets liberally heaped upon me by the captain's
steward, I speedily sank into a deep, dreamless, refreshing slumber--a
delicious oblivion--from which I awoke in the morning to find myself
very little the worse for my exertions of the previous night.

When I opened my eyes I saw, through the open door of the state-room,
that the sun was streaming brightly down through the skylight, lighting
up the cosy little cabin, bringing out to the fullest advantage the
flowing tints of three or four well-executed pictures, which were
secured to the bulkheads, and altogether imparting a delightfully
cheerful appearance to the apartment. The vessel, however, was in
violent motion; I could, from my position in the cot, look out through
the stern windows; and I saw that there was a heavy sea running, and the
roar of the wind through the rigging, which was distinctly audible above
the sound of creaking timbers, rattling doors, trampling feet, and the
_swish_ of heavy showers of spray upon the deck, told me it was blowing
hard. I felt so greatly recovered, however, that I resolved to get up,
and, springing out of the cot, I proceeded to dress myself with as much
alacrity as the ro