her, Helen?"

"Gracious heavens, yes!" she quickly answered, almost anticipating his
words.

"Well, Helen, Charles Bramble is before you!"

She did not faint nor utter a shriek at the effect of the powerfully
condensed feelings which crowded upon her heart and senses; but she
stood for one moment gazing at him as though a veil had been removed
from her eyes, recalling in one instant of time the sweet memories of
their childish days together, recalling even the kiss, that last kiss he
had given her years, years before, when he saw her for the last time,
until they met in the broad ocean; she recalled these things and a
thousand more in a moment of time. She remembered how strangely the
tones of his voice had affected her from the outset, how they had seemed
to awaken dreams of the past nearly every time she listened to him.
These things she thought like a flash of mind in one instant, and then,
covering her face with her hands, sobbed aloud!

One moment Charles Bramble stood and looked upon that long-loved,
beautiful form; one moment, like herself, recalled the past, the
sunshine of his childish hours--ay, even the last kiss which she, too,
remembered, now that so much had been recalled; and then he tenderly
drew the weeping, loving girl to his heart, and whispered to her how
dearly he loved her still!

CHAPTER XVI.

THE CANNIBALS.

THE first intimation of his brother's escape from confinement reached
Captain Bramble through the letter which we have already given to the
reader. His rage knew no bounds; he saw at once that he was foiled
completely, that he could do nothing towards his arrest, even, without
casting such dishonor upon his own name as would publicly disgrace him
for all time to come. In vain were all his efforts to discover the
guilty assistants or assistant of the prisoner, as it was not known at
what hour he escaped. Even the three sentinels on duty at the time could
not be identified, though Leonard Hust's friend, Bill, did more than
suspect that some trick had been played upon him during his watch; but
he could say nothing about the matter without making such a case of
self-crimination as to ensure punishment, and that, too, of the most
sanguinary character. Leonard Hust knew this, and feared him not.

There was another party sadly disappointed in this state of affairs, one
who only assumed sufficient importance to be noticed when her services
were needed, but she nevertheless felt and