d fainter, until it
had faded away into space, or it may be that their hearts had ceased to
throb. After things were settled down and the vessel was slashing
through a passage which leads into the Mediterranean Sea with a fresh
easterly wind, the faithful steward, who had provided a substantial
meal for the captain and officers, was informed by the former that he
and his crew were indebted to him for the ghastly achievements of the
day. "But Jake, my boy, I almost wish we hadn't done it."

"Very well, then," said the blunt sailor with obvious indignation;
"you'd better go back and apologize, but you must not expect me to join
in the silly chorus. I suppose you are thinking of 'blessed are the
peacemakers' again? If you are, then I want to remind you that these
fellows were my compulsory pals once on a time, and I found that this
was no part of their religion."

Mrs Macvie interposed that Johnny was right, and that they undoubtedly
owed their lives to his genius.

"We had no intention of killing them or pillaging their ship, and they
had both of these designs on us," said the logical lady, "so that we
were justified in saving ourselves by the means which I fear have
proved so fatal to them."

The steward was henceforth looked upon with great devotion, so much so
that Mrs Macvie induced her husband to include him as one of the
legatees in his will.

For many years after this episode the _Boadicea_ continued her trading.
Captain Macvie made a great deal of money and then retired in favour of
a younger man who was destined to have a short career as commander,
for, on the second voyage from the Brazils, and almost within sight of
his own home, his vessel was driven ashore by a hurricane and all hands
were drowned. A few days later the weather was fine enough to allow
fishermen to put to sea, and on rounding a rugged point on the coast
some of them heard the piteous howling of a dog. They made towards it,
and found it had taken shelter on the arm of a steep cliff. It was
taken from its perilous position with great difficulty. A brass collar
bearing the name of the ship and the owner suggested that it was the
only survivor of the shipwreck. Poor Curly's body was discovered on the
same day on a patch of yellow sand inside a cave. It was taken to a
fisherman's hut, and round his neck was found a gold locket with four
little portraits. Mr and Mrs Macvie were the idolised of one case, and
his own wife and little girl were in