fter hour went by, and nobody came near our hero. It was indeed
lonely, and as the time passed his heart sank within him.

Then Jack heard the faint patter of footsteps over the dry leaves
surrounding the cabin. The sounds came closer.

"Perhaps it's a dog," he thought. "I hope it is one from our plantation,
on the hunt for me."

At last a shadow fell across the open cabin doorway and the figure of a
strange creature came slowly into view. At the sight Jack could not
suppress a scream. The visitor was a mountain wild cat!

CHAPTER XXVII.

COLONEL STANTON'S TALE.

Two days after being brought to the plantation Colonel Stanton's fever
went down, and the surgeon who came to attend him pronounced the officer
much better.

"But he must remain where he is for some time," said the medical man.

"He can remain as long as he pleases," declared Mrs. Ruthven. "I have no
wish to hurry his departure."

She was anxious to learn the truth concerning the colonel's past, yet
realized that she must move with caution, otherwise he might be thrown
into another fever.

"Colonel Stanton," she said, seating herself at his side, "were you ever
in the neighborhood before--I mean some ten or eleven years ago?"

At this question Colonel Stanton became immediately interested, and his
wide-open eyes showed it.

"I do not know if I was in this neighborhood," he answered slowly.

"You do not know? Surely you must remember where you were at the time I
mention."

"The time you speak about was a very bitter one to me, madam," was his
slow answer.

"And you do not wish to speak about it?" she said softly, seeing the
pain in his face.

"I have spoken to nobody about it for years, madam. Yet I would not mind
speaking to you--you are so kind to me. During the time you mention I
took an ocean voyage which was very disastrous to me and mine. The ship
went down with all on board, including my wife and child."

"Did the ship go down on this coast?"

"She struck somewhere along the coast; where, I am not exactly sure."

"May I ask the name of the vessel?"

"She was the _Nautilus_."

Mrs. Ruthven's breast began to heave. "It must be true!" she murmured.

"What must be true, madam?"

"The _Nautilus_ was wrecked on our coast here, not over half a mile
from this plantation."

"You are sure of this?"

"I am. The wreck is still on the rocks in the bay."

"And were you living here at the time?"

"I was, and I know all about t