. The air was still dim with heavy clouds
and the wind continuously whistled its anger. He noticed for the first
time that it was raining, but it was a trifle to him, as he had already
been thoroughly soaked by the sea.

The sea itself was as wild as ever. Wave after wave roared upon the land
to break there, and then rush back in masses of foam. As far as Robert
could see the surface of the water, lashed by the storm, was wild and
desolate to the last degree. It was almost as if he had been cast away
on another planet. A feeling of irrepressible, awful loneliness
overpowered him.

"Well, Peter, we're here."

It was a feeble voice, but it was a human one, the voice of one of his
own kind, and, in that dreary wilderness of the ocean, it gave welcome
relief as it struck upon his ear. He looked down. The slaver, returned
to consciousness, had drawn himself into a sitting position and was
looking out at the gray waters.

"I've a notion, Peter," he said, "that you've saved my life. The last I
remember was being engulfed in a very large and very angry ocean. It was
kind of you, Peter, after I kidnapped you away from your friends,
meaning to sell you into slavery on a West India plantation."

"I couldn't let you drown before my eyes."

"Most men in your place would have let me go, and even would have helped
me along."

"Perhaps I felt the need of company. 'Twould have been terrible to be
alone here."

"There may be something in that. But at any rate, you saved me. I'm
thinking that you and I are all that's left. I was a fool, Peter, ever
to have mixed in your business. I can see it now. When I carried you
away from New York I lost my ship. I kidnap you away again from Albany,
and I lose my ship and all my crew. I would have lost my own life, too,
if it had not been for you. It was never intended by the fates that I
should have been successful in my attempts on you. The first time should
have been enough. That was a warning. Well, I've paid the price of my
folly. All fools do."

He tried to stand up, but fresh blood came from his shoulder and he
quickly sat down again. It was obvious that he was very weak.

"I'll do the best I can for us both," said Robert, "but I don't know the
nature of this land upon which we're cast. I suppose it's an island, of
course. I can see trees inland, but that's all I can discover at
present."

"I know a deal more," said the slaver. "That's why I had the boat
steered for this point, h