spot, escaping, as if by miracle, several heavy seas which came
rolling in, one upon another.

[Illustration: OILING THE OUTBOARD BEARINGS.]

For a moment the whole ship's company stood as if thunder-struck; and
then one of the sailors, muttering, "Guess he'll want _them_, anyhow,"
lowered a hammer and oil-can, which Frank dexterously caught. The work
was so nearly done that a few blows of the hammer sufficed to complete
it; and a deafening cheer greeted the young hero as he prepared to climb
up again.

"Smart, now, lad!" shouted half a dozen voices; "here's another sea
comin'."

But Frank saw at once that the wave would be upon him before he could
reach the deck, and that there was only one way of escape. Thrusting his
slim figure between the beams of the open-work, where no full-grown man
could have passed, he held on with all his strength. Crash came the
great billow against the side, making the whole ship quiver from stem to
stern; but Austin remained unhurt. The next moment he was safe on deck.

And now came a scene that might have served any painter for a study of
Horatius among the Romans after his defense of the bridge. Frank was
snatched up and carried shoulder-high to the forecastle by the cheering
crew, who kept shouting the news of his exploit to all that had not seen
it. His hands were shaken till they tingled, and his shoulder-blades
ached with friendly slaps on the back from the sledge-hammer fists of
his admirers. Every one was eager to give something to the hero of the
hour. Offers of pipes, clasp-knives, tobacco, etc., rained upon him from
the very men who had cuffed and kicked him like a dog but a few days
before; and even his refusal of these gifts, which would formerly have
been set down to conceit and "uppishness," was now taken in perfectly
good part. In fact, that one deed of promptitude and courage had raised
him from the last to one of the first among the whole crew. So true is
it that they who succeed best are not always the bravest, or the wisest,
or the strongest, but simply those who keep their wits about them, and
never miss a chance of doing something.

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

A STRANGE FELLOW-VOYAGER.

I've had many a queer voyage in my time, said Captain M----, but the
queerest I ever had was one that I made (somewhat unexpectedly, as you
will see), upon the Great Fish River, in South Africa, on my way back
from a hunting excursion.

As I neared the bank I saw that the ri