g line, and that one of the number should
fish daily.

The condition of the unfortunate Grimes now gave cause for the greatest
uneasiness. From maundering foolishly he had taken to absolute violence,
and had to be watched by Frere. After much muttering and groaning, the
poor fellow at last dropped off to sleep, and Frere, having assisted
Bates to his sleeping-place in front of the rock, and laid him down on
a heap of green brushwood, prepared to snatch a few hours' slumber.
Wearied by excitement and the labours of the day, he slept heavily, but,
towards morning, was awakened by a strange noise.

Grimes, whose delirium had apparently increased, had succeeded in
forcing his way through the rude fence of brushwood, and had thrown
himself upon Bates with the ferocity of insanity. Growling to himself,
he had seized the unfortunate pilot by the throat, and the pair were
struggling together. Bates, weakened by the sickness that had followed
upon his wound in the head, was quite unable to cope with his desperate
assailant, but calling feebly upon Frere for help, had made shift to lay
hold upon the jack-knife of which we have before spoken. Frere, starting
to his feet, rushed to the assistance of the pilot, but was too late.
Grimes, enraged by the sight of the knife, tore it from Bates's
grasp, and before Frere could catch his arm, plunged it twice into the
unfortunate man's breast.

"I'm a dead man!" cried Bates faintly.

The sight of the blood, together with the exclamation of his victim,
recalled Grimes to consciousness. He looked in bewilderment at the
bloody weapon, and then, flinging it from him, rushed away towards the
sea, into which he plunged headlong.

Frere, aghast at this sudden and terrible tragedy, gazed after him, and
saw from out the placid water, sparkling in the bright beams of morning,
a pair of arms, with outstretched hands, emerge; a black spot, that was
a head, uprose between these stiffening arms, and then, with a horrible
cry, the whole disappeared, and the bright water sparkled as placidly as
before. The eyes of the terrified Frere, travelling back to the wounded
man, saw, midway between this sparkling water and the knife that lay on
the sand, an object that went far to explain the maniac's sudden burst
of fury. The rum cask lay upon its side by the remnants of last night's
fire, and close to it was a clout, with which the head of the wounded
man had been bound. It was evident that the poor creatur