distance of the beach, when the man at the look-out arose, tall and
gaunt, and stretched out his hands to the inhospitable-looking coast
with a harsh, exulting laugh.

'At last,' he cried, in a hoarse, strained voice, and in a foreign
tongue; 'freedom at last.'

The other man made no comment on this outburst of his companion, but
kept his eyes steadfastly on the bottom of the boat, where lay a
small barrel and a bag of mouldy biscuits, the remnants of their
provisions on the voyage.

The man who had spoken evidently did not expect an answer from his
companion, for he did not even turn his head to look at him, but
stood with folded arms gazing eagerly ahead, until, with a sudden
rush, the boat drove up high and dry on the shore, sending him head-
over-heels into the wet sand. He struggled to his feet quickly, and,
running up the beach a little way, turned to see how his companion
had fared. The other had fallen into the sea, but had picked himself
up, and was busily engaged in wringing the water from his coarse
clothing. There was a smooth water-worn boulder on the beach, and,
seeing this, the man who had spoken went up to it and sat down
thereon, while his companion, evidently of a more practical turn of
mind, collected the stale biscuits which had fallen out of the bag,
then, taking the barrel carefully on his shoulder, walked up to
where the other was sitting, and threw both biscuits and barrel at
his feet.

He then flung himself wearily on the sand, and picking up a biscuit
began to munch it steadily. The other drew a tin pannikin from the