e sand, and, led by the old man, together offered up their
prayers to the All Merciful One, to Whom they acknowledged their safety
was alone due; for vain would have been all their efforts and skill
without His aid. Rising from their knees, they set off in search of
water, and their eyes were soon gladdened by the sight of a clear stream
running down the valley. Having quenched their thirst, they looked
about for food.

They had not gone far when, to their surprise, they saw close under the
hill, shaded by trees, a well-built hut, evidently not the habitation of
a savage. They hurried towards it, expecting to find the occupant
within. No one appeared. The door was open. They entered. There was
a bedstead with the clothes still on it, a fireplace built of rough
stone, the ashes of a recently burning fire within it. Hung against the
wall were several cooking utensils, and on some shelves were arranged
some plates and dishes and cups and knives and forks. In the centre of
the hut was a cabin table, and placed round it were three chests, which
had apparently served as seats. They contained only a few old shoes and
worn-out clothes. No books or writing materials were found, or anything
to show who had been the occupants of the hut. If it had contained any
articles of value, they had been carried away. Both Ralph and Jacob
were of the opinion, from the workmanship of the chests and table, that
they were French. As no food was found in the hut, they were eager to
continue their search for some. At a short distance off was a small
garden, but it had lately been dug up, and all the vegetables and roots
it had contained had been carried off.

"It's my opinion that there were three people who messed together in the
hut. One lived in it--either the captain or another officer--and the
other two slept elsewhere," observed Jacob. "We shall find their
roosting place not far off. One thing seems certain, that they are not
here now, and there's little doubt that a vessel visited the place
lately, and that they and everything of value were carried away by her,
as well as the produce of the garden."

Ralph and the rest thought that Jacob was probably right in his
conjectures.

"Well, I can't make it out at all," exclaimed Jacob, who had gone ahead
of his companions. He pointed, as they came up, to three long, narrow,
grass-covered mounds on a level spot at some distance from the hut.
They were evidently graves.

"I