of intense relief.

Coleman's stony expression instantly relaxed, he recovered himself with a
jerk of the bead.

'Well,' he murmured bitterly, 'of all the stuck pigs! What the blue fury
're ye all sittin' garpin' at like a lot o' demented damn kelpies? Give
way there! How's the young lady, Smith?'

'She don' seem perticler bad,' answered Smith doubtfully. He was
struggling to wrap his charge in a length of stiff, crackling sailcloth,
puzzled by the white face of the girl.

Coleman looked sharply at the young man, who was seated on the gunwale,
but, discovering no encouragement in his set face and careless eyes,
repressed his curiosity, and devoted himself to the task of overhauling
the Francis Cadman. It was a long and trying job, but he accomplished it
without having exhausted his eloquence. Indeed, his terms of endearment
had been cautiously selected throughout, out of a heroic respect for the
lady passenger. The boatswain's idea of language becoming in the presence
of the gentler sex was rather liberal, perhaps; but in any case his nice
consideration was wasted upon the girl, who heard never a word. She lay
as if in the grip of fever, her distorted mind pursuing quaint visions
and trifling and irrelevant ideas. As they drew near, the rescue-party
sent out a breathless cheer, which was answered from the ship with a wild
yell of exultation, and then a broadside of questions burst from the deck
of the Francis Cadman, where every creature on board excitedly awaited
the boat's return. The sonorous and masterful voice enforced silence
again with a sentence.