us, and his grey eyes had something in them which I had never seen
before. You could read the question; but there seemed to be a menace at
the back of it, as if the answer were a right and not a favour.

"Great Britain?" he asked again, with a quick tap of his foot on the
shingle.

"Yes," said I, while Jim burst out laughing.

"England? Scotland?"

"Scotland. But it's England past yonder trees."

"_Bon!_ I know where I am now. I've been in a fog without a compass for
nearly three days, and I didn't thought I was ever to see land again."

He spoke English glibly enough, but with some strange turn of speech
from time to time.

"Where did you come from then?" asked Jim.

"I was in a ship that was wrecked," said he shortly. "What is the town
down yonder?"

"It is Berwick."

"Ah! well, I must get stronger before I can go further."

He turned towards the boat, and as he did so he gave a lurch, and would
have fallen had he not caught the prow. On this he seated himself and