it. By thunder! she's travelling, too, and coming straight for the
ship."

A few minutes more and the canoe was alongside. The woman hastily
picked up a little girl that was sitting in the bottom, looked up, and
called out in English--

"Take my little girl, please."

A native sailor leant over the bulwarks and lifted up the child, and
the woman clambered after her. Then, seizing the child from the sailor,
she flew along the deck and into the cabin.

She was standing facing us as we followed and entered, holding the
child tightly to her bosom. The soft light of the cabin lamp fell full
upon her features, and we saw that she was very young, and seemed
wildly excited.

"Who are you?" we said, when she advanced, put out a trembling hand to
us, and said: "Don't you know me, Mr Supercargo? I am Nerida, Taplin's
wife." Then she sank on a seat and sobbed violently.


* * * * *


We waited till she regained her composure somewhat, and then I said:
"Nerida, where is Taplin?"

"Dead," she said in a voice scarce above a whisper; "only us two are