He straightened himself, leaned against the -wall for a moment, and wiped his forehead. Then drawing his keys out ot his pocket, he inserted one in the lock, turned the lock softly, and entered. As he did bo the head of a man disap peared below the window B,U GW™ Lot see this head, nor did he at that time know of the man's presence. . The room was oue of medium size, but it w "dark in colour ami the one can « was almost lost in it, and revealed little or n fl hol Dd ßing the light above hi* head, Grey »ttid a couch, on which could be dimly seen the Pjojtrate ii«ure of a woman/The figure did not move a. he cl H We .Tod' over the couch and looked down upon his wife. She was lying on her back. Ber mouth w»» "lightly open, and her face very pale, Her eyes, too, were partly

Opge waved the candle acros? her eyes. Ho <■ Jgn °{consciousness. He called " Bee " softly two or thiee times. No answer. Could it be that she was really dead ? Beally dead after all ? He stooped down and put his ear over her mouth. . Ho, tbis was not death. This was— brandy. „ ~, , He shook her slightly. He caught her by the shoulder and shook har more strongly, calling her name into her ear. She responded by neither sound nor motion. , ~ Then, putting the candle down on the floor, he stood up, folded his arms, and reflected intently with his eyes fixed on Not death, but brandy, and yet how like death, and how near death 1 How near death ! And still in the interval batween this and death lay hi- ruin, his destruction. A blanket thrown on that face would bridge over the interval between this state and death, and give him a golden road to happiness and glorious prosperity. His wifs ! This his wife here, degraded thus ! This worari whom h<s had loved With all trie love he had ever given woman ! This woman, whom he had married in de. fiance of bia father's wish and all worldly wisdom! Great God, was this to be She had broußht herself nigh death. She was nigh death now. It might be she would nev^r awake. It was quite possible shs mi^ht never awake. But then the hideous scaudal! »he coroners jury found that Mrs Grey, Wife of Henry Walter Gr-y, E-q., died of excessive drink ! Intolerable! . And yet this wretched woman lying here had made such a thing not only possible but probable. Suppose she should never wake, what an unendurable position for him ! He could not live through that odious inquest, never survive that degrading verdict. He should throw himself into the \Veeslade, or blow out his brains first. Any time she might get into »uch a con dition and ncv<r awake 1 Great God ! this wa» a view of the ea«e he had never taken until now. H« bad alwayn bad the dread of disclosure before his mind, but now he «hould have the infinitely more appalling horrors of a coroners jury and a coroner's verdict. Thin was insupportable. Abominable ! Any'ime in the future «be might die as She was now. Then no doabt he should be a widower, but a -widower under what a terrible sfcadow I Suppose she should die now, anrl by any means it should come out that be had deliberately placed the brandy in her w»y, he had better leave Uaneford at once. They would look on him as a murderer. As a murderer! They would know he had put a fatal temptation in his wife's path. The dis covery was what he dretded. Suppose she never woke again—ah ! Suppose »he never got up alive off that Never got up from where she lay! That was a joyal thought! Horn to make all right, all secure. Now Wh »t a royal thought! A thought worthy of the prince regnant of the Netber Depths. He stooped, took up his candle, find crossed the room with rapid *teps. He locked the door of the tower-room, and, having reached his own room, rang the bell. ' Jtmee answered the belL " James," he eaid, " I cannot rest. I cannot oelieve this dreadfnl tbiog. I wish you and the other servants to search the house thoroughly from garret to cellars. Mind a room is not to be omitted. When every'room has been examined let me know. 1 have been in the tower." J*m?s left, and for an hour the banker sat alone in his bedroom. At the end ot the hour James came back with the report that every room had been examined and no trace found. "We cm do no more, James. I shall want no one to-night. You may allgo to bed aa soon as you like. Good-night," Again he was alone. Alone for the niaht. Alone save for the proximity of his ynte in the next room. Alone with his royal idea aud the easy means of carrying 1 He'braeed himself, and began walking up and down the room firmly. Yen tbis was a golden opportunity, Which would have been utterly worthless but that iv the mid-centre and at the right moment his great thought had burst in upon It was most likely his wife would never wake. In fact, tbe chances were in favour of her not waking. It would be almost a miracle if ever (she returned to conscious ness. , Why should there ever be an inquest ? Supposing she had died In her sleep, it would have done no one any good to hold an inquest. Then, if stao did die in this sleep, what would Maud Midharst regard him as to. morrow night ? As a widower, of course. And what should he regard himself as ? As a man doubly delive-ed from a wife wno was the slave of an odious vice, and from ruin, disgrace, and suicide. i She was steeping still, he supposed. He would bo and try. He stole cautiously out into the passage, and, opening the door into the tower, room, crept towards the conch. He did not carry a caudle this time, be stumbled over something hard and metallic which he bad seen when last in the room. He wcovered himself rapidly. He paused, balanced himself on the balls of his feet, leaned forward, and listened intently. The sound had not roused her. It was as dark as a vault. A faint blue square, like the bloom under trees in sum mer, showed the situation of toe one win dow. All the rest was as much out of view as if the solid earth intervened. He crossed tbe room and approached the couch, with bis head thrust forward, and all the faculties of Ms mind bent on his hearing; he stooped over the couch and listened, aB though he wonld pierce re motest silence to reach what he sought. Yes, there was a low, faint sound of breathing, but so low it seemed to come from along distance. He knelt down beside the couch, and Called softly in her ear. "Bee." No answer, " Bee." No answer, "Bee,"

Wo answer,

A long,pause followed, during whiah no sound stirred la the intense darkness. The husband still leant over the wife, the wife still breathed faintly. Then .

In ten minutes from that strange sound Grey was back in his bedroom, standing before the glass ;with set resolute lips, 5 and a rigid white face.

(To be Continued.)

The Ordeal of Sight.

NOTWITHSTANDING all the schemes for in creasing the pains aud perils of prisoners while the accusation against them is being prepared, it will probably be a long time before the British confront any suspect in their islands with the tremendous ordeal to which he is still sometimes subjected to in France. The caie of the unfortunate man now imprisoned on a charge of beiug puiltv of the Bine murder, as it it called, afford* a curious instance of this almost inhuman practice. One Friday in April—bo runs the brief account given in the Paris papers—the dead body of the victim was laid out in the dUsooiing room at the Morgue, where it h&d been submitted to the usual post mortem examination. It wa« covered with a large wkite sheet, and lay there in all the horrible and silent solitude of that gruesome building. At the same time the prisoner La Uroix was taken from his cell at Mazas and brought in a cab to the place, wiih an intimation that he was on his way to be " confronted " with the corpse, His four guardians noted every movement and attitude of the suspected man, and watched tow, in spite of much affected calm, "a nervoas trembling occ» sionally shook all hie limba." After he had been introduced into the room, an attendant stripped the cloth entirely off the body, and then an agent of ihtjuge (^instruction, turning with the eye of an inquisitor upon the supposed murderer, and pointing to the sight immediately More his eyes, asked in an impressive voiofl, "Do you recognise that?" The culprit made no answer, but, as the reporter Bays, turned ghostly pale and stared fixedly at the body without speaking. A. long series of questions were then ad dressed to him, and it must have been about an hour before this theatrical scone was concluded. The man maintained his silence, and appeared, as h« well might, in a sort of half -conscious state. But, whether he is guilty or not, the sight he was com pelled to look upon for all that time ia likely to colour his Bleepiau hours so long as he \f confined in Mazo», if mot for the rest ot his days. The possibility •£ innocence is, how ever, one which a French/«</e dimtrudion can only be compelled to entertain alter the failure of every effort to procure proof or confession.

Saved by One Match.

"I asked Joe Croft, 'Is the Scotchman gone up yet V ' Ho !' said somebody in the dark. I think it wor the station-master. I bad a red lamp ia my handa, aud off I started to stop her. Have you ever seen her go across the viadaet, tir ? She come* down the bank at sixty miles au hour every night of her life. The incline falls one in seventy, so you may guess ahe'a not wanting time. (She just slips down with her fifteen coaches like wed-oiled lightenin'. Well, as I wor a savin', I io»» over the viaduct like < madmaa, makes my way through the tunnel, and when I got in the cuttin', tbe wind brought me the roar o( the Scotch man going like a rod-hot rocket through brabble Dale station, a mile or more off. The wind it eatne throagh the cuttin' till I had fairly to hnrd rnysea on the rail?, to keep my»«n from beisg a'blown away. It wor then my lamp went out. It wor blown clsstn out, and in no time tbe Scotchman would be a ripping dowa the hill like a liar vaUnce of flama. X Morehad my pockets for a match. In njr ooat pockets never a one, although I generally carries a box, and have done ever einoe that fearful night. At last in my waistcoat pockets I found one nuiteh. One match, and tbe wind wor a blowin' through the cuttin' as through a funnel 1 I'm not a Mint, sir; but I know'd that the lives ia that thusderi*' express depended oa (hut one match. If ahe went into the fouled line she'd drop over tbe viaduct into the river. The penpiraiion covered me with cold sweat I could 'ear my 'cart a thumpin'. For a moment I went a' dizzy like. Then I pulled myswn together and throwsd my whole life into oue short prayer. It wor all done in a moment. I lelt then in the cuttin' for a crevice, and, thank God I thore wor a small opening wh^re the fogmen shelter when they are s'gnalhn' the train* on thick nights. I crept in this 'ere place. 1 opens my lamp, and put the motoh inside the frame. I trembled lost it should fail. But somehow I wor strangely cool and steady about the hands. I struck, and huddled round tbe match. The wick caught the fire, acd I was just ia time to jump from the hole into tbe tix-foot and wave tbe red signal to the driver of the Scotchman aa she rushed past faster than tbe wind. Sb« wor a gain' I But the driver wor on the look-out and had seen the red light. All I could see were the tail lamps of tbe rear guard's van, bat I eoald 'ear the danger whistle for all the brakes to be clapped on, and I 'eared 'em agrindin' on the metals, and then there wor a a gratin' that told me he wor a rerenin' the inline." " Stopped 1" " Yes, • sir, just as she got on the edge of the viaduct He had her buffer plank not three yardß from where the line wor a touled. The sweat poured down my face as I made for the junction again; but I know'd I'd saved tho train, and I prayed again, not in word«, but with a sort of cuoking gratitude that came up in big, burning lumps in ray throat. Some ot my mates gave me this 'ere watch and chain, and I wor a shifted up by the superinten dent to a ganger's job; but I duana take so much credit to mysen, for rtovidenoe lit the match that night in the storm."— II Cassell'a Family Magazine."

Scene in a Court.

A VIGGBB witness called and sworn. Attorney: "Where do you live, and what is your occupation V Witness: " I'se wait* at the sign of the Tree Crows, yer Honor." " Did you hear tb« alarm of fire on the nicht of the Ist of January." " Vis, sab ; yer Honor." " What were you doing at the time you first heard the alarm?"

"I waa ringin' " " Kinging ! Why, the fellow don't under stand. Listen to the question. What were you doing when you first heard the alarm of tire?" '• Wai, waL I was ringin' " What do you mean 3 Of course you couldn't have been ringing the alarm-bell at r.he instant the alarm was given." Witness (shaking his fist in the face of the Court): "Now, you mister, look a-heab. By gum ! you needn't t'ink you'se gwang to 'preach dis nigga's tes'imony ! Jes let dia chile hab de chance to s'prin hissed) will ye? I haint said nuffin' 'bout rin?in' no 'larm-bell. Now, 1 say 'gaiD, I was in massa's hen-house, 'ringin1 de pullets'necks for de gemman's snpppr," The Court adjourned,

CAPTURED BY TELE GRAPH.

DußlNfl the winter of 1869 I was em ployed as night operator in the railroad office at D . The principal road between Chicago and Omaha rues through D , and the great number of irregular night trains, and constant danger ff collision resulting therefrom, rendered the position of night operator by no means an easy one. It may be well to mention here, as neoessary to the following story, that, besides the railroad office, there was also at JL) a business office ot the Union Company, Tuis we always spoke of aa the " down-town office."

One stormy night, not far from eleven o'clock, I sat at my desk—and, for a wonder, idle. The wires naJ not called for some time, and 1 w*a leaning back iv my chair listening to the wind outside and reflecting upon tbe loneliness of my situation. The eastern train hud cro-sed the river mote than an hour ago; all the depOt officials had gone otf home, and, co far as 1 knew, I was entirely alone iv that vnst building.

Finally, tired of thinking, I picked up the evening paper and ylauced listlessly o»er its columns. Among other things IJ read the detailed account of a fearful tragedy that had taken place 50 milts up the riv<.r on the previous nu<ht. Three raftsmen, well-known as iicpeiate characters in ihat viciuity, had entered the cottage of one Matthews, a farmer living in au isolated spot—had butchered the farmer and his children, terriuly maltreated his wife, aud then departed as they came, having taken with them whatever plunder was handy. What interested me most was a full de cription, for purposes of identification of th*: villainous trio, Tim Lynch. He'eltis:-

$500 reward will be paid for information ieading to the capture, dead or alive, of Tim Lynch, the ringleader of the Matthews tragedy, kynch is a remarkably lar^c man, cix feet four inches in height, very heavy, and broad acr iss thc'ahoulders. ityes greeni«h grey, with a deep scar over the right one. Hair wiry, black, and beard of the same colour. When last seen he was dressed in black Kossuth hat, faded army overcoat, pants ot grey jean, and heavy boots. The above reward will pc paid to anyone furnishing positive information of his whereabouts.

(signed) Sherilfof County. At the very instauc l linisheii reading this udvertiecment there occurred the most remarkable coincidence that has ever come under my observation. I heard a heavy tread on the Btair, and tin n the door opoued and there entered—Tim Lync'i ! Tho moment I set eyes upon him I recognised him as perfectly as though I bad known bim all his lite. The army overeoit and grey pints tucke-i in the heavy buotn, the m.as^ivc frame and sbou ders, the slouched hat pulloi dowu over ma right eye to con cca | X W—" nuro—tlio Buur ; above all a d«.«perate, hunted look iv hi* forbidding oouutcniuco-ull were not to bo mistaken. I wua as certain of hie identity as though he had atepped forward, pulled oil1 his hat to show the »car, aud told mo his name. To say I was not alarmed at this sudden and uawelooine iatrusioD, would be untrue. I am not a brave man, and my present situa tion, alone in the depot with a hunted murderer, was by no means reassuring. My heart beat violently, but from mere force of habit I arose and asked him to be seated. While he turned to comply, I suc ceeded iv conquering my agiU'ion to some extent. He drew a chair noisily forward, and sitting down threw open his coa', dis playing by so doing a heavy navy revolver stnek in his belt, men he freed his mouth of a quantity of tobacco juice, and spoke : " Young feiler," fle said, motioniug with his head toward the battery. " thet thar masheeu Is what yer cull a tellygrani, I •"poaer •■ Well," I answered, with a faint smile, intended to be conciliatory, "that's what we send telegrams by."

" W»l, I want y^.r to scad a message to a friend o'mino out in Cohoe. I tell yer aforeband 1 hain't got no collateral. But I kinder guess you'd better trust me, young feller [Here he laid his hand significantly on hi* belt.] I'll fetch it iv ter morrow ef it's convenient."

I hastened to say that the charge conld just ac well be paid at the other end by his iriend.

•' Umph ! flaguey little you'll get o' Jim, I reckon. Howsomedcver, perceed."

•■What is the muusage, and to whom is It to go i" •• i ~~ut yer to tell Jim Fellers of Cohoe that the bull quit hare las' night, and ther eheepil b; close on his heels." As he delivered th-s sentence he looked at me as thongh he expected me to be mytfied. Bur. I thought it best not to appear so, ana I said carelessly : ••I euppose you are a dealer in stock, and this is your partner ? Ah, sir, the telegraph helps you tellows out of many a sharp bargain " " Ya'a«," he answered slowly, evidently pleased with the way I took it, " Va'as^ them's urn. I'm seodiog down a lot o' stock. Bought it cheap over Gcuesee yistetday. Purty lot as ev<r yon see." I turned to my instrument. What was to be done I Though ours was a railroad office, we often sent business messages; and if I did aa usual now I aboald probably get rid of my unwelcome visitor without lurther trouble. But in the short conversation with him I had somewhat recovered from my first alarm, and 1 now conceived the idea of attempting the capture of Tim Lynch. I was only a poor salaried operator, try ing to save enough to marry in the spring. Fire hundred dollars would do me a great deal of good just now—to say nothing of the tdat of the thing. But how wa* it to be accomplished ? Here I was, alone in the depot with a man big enough to whip his weight in such litUs m°.n as I was several times over. Any attempt to secure him single-handed was not be thought of. But could I not excuse myself, and, goinn our, fasten him in ? No ; well I kn-.w from the distrustful look in his face that any proposal of mine to leave the room would be peremptorily objected to by hm. What then ? Why, simply this. I would telegraph to the down-town station. But alas! That very day the connection between the two offices had been cut for repairs. It was seldom used at any time, of course. But what of that 1 It was only a question of a few seconds' more time All these thoughts went through my mind with the rapidity of lightning as I went to the battery. Lynch regarded me from the corner of his uncovered eye witli a suspicion that made me shake in mj shoe-!. As I sat down, he arose and came to my side. " ljook a here, youn^ fe.10.," be hissed in my ear, and bis breath was sickening with the'fumes of liquor, "p'rhapayou mean fair enull—l hope ye do for y«r own sake. .But I don't understanl nothin' 'bout them tcllygrarns, nnd 1 ]■•< w»nt te> tell ye that yo-'d better bo sputr'— fur, of you go back on me, I'll streic.i you on this yerc floor as stiff as ever I did a man yit!' and I felt the c^ld muzzle of his revolver on my check. Perhaps my voice trembled a little, but I waß still unmoved in my resolution ns I replied :

" Never fear, sir; I'll tell him all about the stock." He muttered something to himself and still remained stunning over me.

You have heard perhaps how much character and expression a telegraph operator can put iuto his touch. Why, there were dozens of different operators communicating with our oilice, and I could tell ac the instant, without ever making a mistake, who it was signalling. You could telL it a man was nervous from his telegraph ing just as well as ynu could from his hand writing. Xbe cill that I sent hurrying across the State to Council Bluffs, must have run,i out upon the ears of the operator like a shriek.

" C.B. Are you there?" was what I asked, and almost, instuntly cime back a reply in the affirmative. Then with trembliug hand I rattled off my message : "For the love of God, telegraph to our down town office at once. Tell man that Tim Lynch, is within two feel of me, and (hey must send help."

A short pause, as though my messig6 occasioned some surprise, and then came the respont-e :

" All right !" which assured "jna that I need not repeat.

"Wai," growled ton deep voice of Lynch, " are you goia' to send my message ?"

" I have sent it, sir."

" What ! Dnea all that tickin' mean what I told y.m ?"

" Yes, fand if you will wait fifteen or twenty rainut-s, you'll c;et an answer."

" Wai, I (Imiiu) as I want un auswer, Jim. he'll un iprstia' it, nil right."

" But I'll t<4l you soon whether he's there or not. Sit down."

So Lyncl) reluctantly took his scat, look ing around at t>o door and windows once in a while in an uneasy way. 1 was det°r mhud to take, him now at nuy cost ; aod I verily b-llew tint I ahoulct have planted myself in his pa h hud hs iusistc 1 upon goiug now.

" Tick, tick tick ! " the b.Utory cal'ed nut, and I listened to tho uie-'-iaße. "Keep cool. Gould has gone for the police." Strange it wa<, wimi't it, ihat I Bhoulu sit there and ta'« t rouirh two hundred and fifty miles of spac: wnh v man not half-a mile from me !

" Whai's that sifinerfy ?" inquired my companion, as the ticking ceased ; and 1 replied that the cli:rk at Cohoa had just written oir the message and sent it out. He seemed satisfind, and settled back in his chair, where he sat insullou silence, his jaws HoiiiL' up-and down, up and down as tie chewed hii weud.

0, how slowly the minutes crept along ! The suspense was terrible ! 1 Bat aud watched the minute hand of the clock, and five minutes seemed as ninny months. My companion seemed nervous, 100. He moved umni-iU in his chair.

" Aiu't it'boui time ye heard from Jim ?" he asked at length. " We shall yet wvd from him in a few moments now," I answered, and fell to watching the clock again. Five minutes more pussud Ljncli got up and began pacing to and fro across th« room, At leugtli he paused, and said :

" I don't b'lieve I'll wait any more. I've cot to see a man down at Pennsylvania Houan, and he'll be abed cf I don' git thar pretty soou." " Hold on a moment, and I'll sco what they're up to," I cried hastily, and I touched the key again, ''Make haste," was my message, " / shall lose Mm if you do not. Not a moment to spare." Straight way came the reply, short, but en couraginr* : "A S'jiuul of jiolice started for the depotfive minute* ago." Thank ticaveu !

They ought to be here now. I looked at Lyncu anil thougut of the tiro hundred dollars.

" Wal, what's the word ?" he growled, impatiently. "Your friend is coming," I answered, for want of a, better reply. "Comin'l Courin'! Wbar!" "Coming to the olfice at Cohoe. He probably has an answer for you."

"An answer tor me ? Jim Fellers ? Wnat should he answer for ? Lynch stood ia stupid thought a moment, then he looked at me witb a dangerous light in his eye.

"Look a-here, young feller," he cried. " It's my private opinion you're lyin' to me. And if ye are—" hero he uttered a horrible catb—" I'll cut your sknlkin' heart out. I don't kiiiw auj thing 'bout thet thar masheen, but I >war Jim Fellers hain't got nothin' to answer. More like he'd git up and scatter when he heerd thet message." He stood glaring at mo as he uttered these words, his hand on hia revolver. I cannot account for it. A* I before remarked, lam a timid man by nature. But this action »u!y made me bolder. Everything depended upon keeping him a few seconds longer. It must bo done at any cost. I tried a new plan. "What do you mean, sir?" I shouted, rising, "by coming into thh office and talking in tbat style ? Bo you think I'll endun: it I Leive tbc room at once, sir, or I'll "and I advanced threateningly to ward him more than anything else, but it silenced his suspicions. He put his hands in his pockets, and delivered a loud laugh in my tace. " Wai, wal, my bintnm, ye needn't get so cantankerous. Who'd thought such a litHo breecbe* us you had so much pluck ? Haw 1 haw 1 haw ! Why, I could chaw you up 'thout makin' two bite* of ye." "Well, sir," 1 said, still apparently un mollified, "either sit down and hold yonr tongue, or else leave th<i office." And he good-naturedly complied. Once mere we were sittiog listening to the ticking of the clock as the minutes drag ged their slow length along. Would help never come ? Three minutes more. Great Heavens 1 The suspesaelwas becoming in tolerable, 1 must go to the stair and listen, if 1 die for it. I arose and took a step to ward the door, but a votce stopped me. "Hold!1' shouted Lynch, standing upright, all his suspicious aroused once more. " Yer can't go out of thet door afore me. Come back here 1" "Sir!" " Corce back here, or " and the pistol muzzle looked me in the f«e. He stood now half turned from the door, and X was facing it. Siowly, without a pßrticle of noise, I saw the knob turn, and a face under a blue cap peep in. Tbank bod I Help had come I I felt a joy uncontrollable come over me I must keep the murderer's attention an instant longer, tijlsomeonecould spring upon him from behind, I walked utruUjht up to him. But his quick ear had caught a movement behind. As he turned with an oath, I sprang upon Kirn, and bore down his arm, just as the revolver went off, the ball burying itself harmles-ly in the iloor. Bofore he could free himself from my grasp half-a-dozen officers were upon him, and he was quickly secured. The next morning the papers were filled with glowing accounts of the capture of the murderer, and praisos of my conduc?. The priuoipal business-men ot the town, made up a purse of five hundred dollars and pre eentoii to me; and this, with the reward which was paid to me the following week, enabled me to get married at Christmas. But I shudder at the remembrance of that half-hour I spent alone with Tim Lynch, and I don't think one thousand dollars would tempt me to go through it again.

STORY OF AN ENGLISH CANNIBAL.

The following vivid story of cannibalism at sea was taken down from the lips of a " wolti«h-looking English sailor," who the other day accosted a reporter with the re mark, " I'm a lost man, sir; I'm an un fortunate man, and likewise a cannibal."

On being questioned, the sailor spoke as follows :—

"My name is Arthur Gandelhearr. I was born at Deal, on the south coa^t of ttng. land, and went first to sea in a fiihing smack when only 10years old. I l>k<?d tan life, and when I was 18 I shipped abiard au East Indiaman and made several long voyages. I worked hard in my spare time to master navigation, aud passed for a mate's certificate before I wan 23.

In the fall ot 1876 1 shipped as mate on the Whittleaea, an English Ixrque, and failed from Plymouth for Melbourne with a general cirgo. We carried a crew of 19 men all told, and made a good run down as tar as the Cape of Good Hope.

After rounding the Cape the wind fresh* ened, and a heavy gale continued for three days. Then the gale terminated in a per fect hurricane.

One Friday morning a huge wave rande a cloan sweep of tlie deck, carrying away the compass, the whoelhouse, anil smashing up both the boats ou the port side. The captain, who was on the poop, was washed overboard, and we never even got a eight of him ai;aiii.

In this extremity I to k oommanrl. bnt as bcr gear was damped and she would not a'nwer to the n«wly ringed wheel, I let her rnn before the wind. I never was on a vessel before orsincu when so much water cnuie aboard,

About miduitht ihe wind died ont with a remarkabl« sutldeniies". By four in the morning 1 found that under the most favourable circumstances 1 could not hold hope to keep her above water l<r more than an hour. We had just tiiae to get tui) last boat alloat when she heeled over to star boaid.

Four of the sailors and rny*<>lf got into the boat and shoved her oil', us the b lrqne immediately went down with all the others on board.

As the. day dawned wo found ourselves alone ou the ocean, without food or water. By midday the sea was quite calm, and there was not a breath of win" en tlie waier.

We now prayed as heartily for a breeze aa we had longed for tuir weather. We strained our eyes continually, hoping to Bight a passing vessel, but no such welcome vision met our view.

I rigged a jury mast with a spare oar, divided the men inio watohes and fell asleep. 1 was so thoroughly worn out that it was dark before I awoke.

The men were complaining of huugerand thirst. Xwo of tbem insisted on drinking salt water, although. I tried bard to die* suade them. Tho next duy ihey became dolirious, and the following day went raving mad, attacked me with the greatest ferocity, and finally jumped overboard, and although wo tried to get them back into the bout, they perished miserably. The three of us that wore left now suffered horribly from thirct and hunger. I had on a pair of long sea boots, ami I cut the tops into strips and we chewed the leather, but it afforded us no relief. The salt oily taite of the leather only aggra vated ray thirst.

During the fourth night after leaving the barque, one ot tbe two tailors, a Swede, became very ill. i-Je complained of crampa in tbe stomach, find his shrieks of agony were terrible to hoar,

We tried to make him as comfortable as we could, and wrapped him in tbe *ail and laid him iv the bottom of the boat.

When morning came, the poor fellow, I could see, was dying; bat he had no paiu, but was weak so be conld scarcely whisper. I was horrified to see tbe way that the other man glared at him as he lay in the bottom of the boat breathing heavily, deathly pale, aud with hli eyrs closed. He edged over to me and whispered in my ear, " He will be dead in au hour, and then we won't be hungry aDy longer.'' I shuddered and pushed the human brute away from me wi;h a threatening gc-tnre. The sick maa opened his eyes »nd motioned me to approach him. I bent my ear to his lips, and h« faintly whisiwred, " You'll wait un'il I die, won't you ?" I heard what be .said I took bis hund in mine and said that whi'e I livnd tie was safe. The sua was hi#u in the heavens when he breatbed his last,

1 was now growing rely weak myself, and I must have tainted away, for it was growing dark when I -was uroused by ray companion shaking me.

"Go and help yourself," he said, point ing to the bow of the bo.it, where beneath the sail I could see the outlines uf the dead man's furm,

What was Itodo ? To realise my posi tion, you must have been through a like ex perience yourself. Our live* were saved, but at What a cost 1 Hveii now ray fl^sh creeps when I tbiok ot our life iluriDg tho next three days

The caltn continued, and we drifted about aimlessly—nvo Jive men—cannibals -adrift on the ocean.

At this point Gadelheart ptwed hi» hand across his forehead, on which j,"i;at b 'ads of perspiration stood out, likt! drop* of dew. "On the morning of thesoveitluiny, after leaving tho barquf, we sighted a steamtt bearing down upon us. An hour later wb were safe on board, and before nijzht I wag in bed with brain lever. Thie-i weeks later we were put ashore at Plymouth, and I lay 10 weeks in the hospital between lii-j and death.

A Board of Trade inquiry as to the loss of tbe Whittlesea was held In Koglam], and the facts became public property. Since then 1 have been In a dozsn different ship*, but once a week, or oftener, I go through the horrid experience in my sleep, and tell the dread *tory far more realistically than I have gvra it to yon. After tnat the men shun nir, and 1 can Dot lead an endurable life in any .ship that calls. If lean get back to England, I shall go luck to Deal and get in the tisliing trade again. The folks all know me thero, and pity my misfortunes instead of condemning me for doing that which I could not help."

Homespun Religion.

SOME people foolishly think that elfrpy* men alone arc the servants of God; that their calliDg alone is c'ivino; that they only, and such a* they, pro mote the glory of God. My friends, I tell you that 1 believe thaf. many a poor artisan who industriously and ungrum blingly plies his tra'le, that lie roav honestly support a wife and family, or that he may keep an aged paTent from "h>: pariah, is more effectually promoting G d's -.'lory than many a pompou- yrc oh' r oj the Ward There is an eloquence in the p»ou ■ r '*i.:na tion, the contented look', tho lr>y fiuiifc^s of the one, which is not to be found in all the bombast of the other; and no man of this kind can calculate the influence for goodness and for God which he may exer cise on society.—" Rev. J. Cunningham, U.V."

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, JUNE SO, 1883.

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