t on board a homeward-bound vessel, or
land at the first port at which the ship touched. The sad subject was
discussed over and over again.

"I cannot believe that Lord Saint Maur is dead," said Miss Julia Rogers,
Jack's eldest daughter--who had looked the picture of woe since the
accident, although she had said nothing--when she heard Dick's
statement. "He was telling me of the numerous dangers he and Tom had
been in, and how they had got out of them all, and I don't see why he
should not have escaped from this one. Dick Stokes thinks he saw a
human being clinging on to the bowsprit rigging, and that must have been
Lord Saint Maur, and he being a sailor could easily have climbed up and
got on board. I have been picturing to myself his doing so, and how
astonished the sailors must have been when they saw him, though it was
very, very cruel of them not to heave to and wait for us to receive him
back again."

Stella smiled sadly at young Julia's remark. Murray was not so sanguine
as his friends. He suspected that Dick had been nodding at the helm,
and that had he had his eyes open, he would at all events have given the
alarm before the stranger had struck the yacht. The latter, it should
have been said, was sailing on a course diagonal to the ship, or she
would have been more severely damaged.

The bad weather being over, the _Stella_ once more sailed for the Isle
of Wight. Adair had written to Counsellor McMahon an account of the
accident. He had posted the letter before Dick had come to his senses,
and he then expressed no hopes that his nephew had escaped. As the
winds were light, the _Stella_ was three days getting up the Channel,
and it was not till late at night that she brought up off Ryde. The
party, therefore, did not go on shore until the following morning. His
aunt and young cousins were deeply grieved at hearing of Desmond's
possible fate.

"It will be a sad blow for Tom and Archie when they hear of it,"
observed Jack to Adair. "They have as great an affection for him as we
three had for each other."

Murray remained at Ryde some days longer, taking trips in various
directions, and then the captain and his family, bidding adieu to their
old friends, sailed, intending to go homewards along the east coast and
round the north of Scotland. Young Alick, who had not yet been
appointed to a ship, accompanied his father and mother.

Next morning, as Jack and Adair were seated at breakfast, Adair