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"I see you are too good a sailor by far to be cheered by any questionable hopes," laughed Theriere; "but you ive you a ray of hope that hten your burden of apprehension However, honestly, I do think that weif the sea continues to go down as it has in the past two hours We are not ue from shore, and with the juryunder Mr Ward noe can work in coht breeze, which we should have during the afternoon There are few coasts, however rugged they may appear at a distance, that do not offer some foothold for the wrecked mariner, and I doubt not but that we shall find this no exception to the rule"

"I hope you are right, Mr Theriere," said the girl, "and yet I cannot but feel that my position will be less safe on land than it has been upon the Halfmoon Once free from the restraints of discipline which tradition, custo what atrocities these men will co worse than I dreaded the dangers of the storh which we have just passed"

"I think you have little to fear on that score, Miss Harding," said the French it quite plain that I consider myself your protector once we have left the Halfmoon, and I can count on several of the men to support me Even Mr Divine will not dare do otherwise Then we can set up a camp of our own apart frouarded until succorthe man's face as he spoke The memory of his consideration and respectful treat weeks of her captivity had done ed her thoughts of him earlier in their acquaintance, while his heroic act in descending into the forecastle in the face of the arlamour of roirl of Barbara Harding's type Then there was the look she had seen in his eyes for a brief instant when she had found herself locked in his cabin on the occasion that he had revealed to her Larry Divine's duplicity That expression no red-blooded girl could mistake, and the fact that he had subdued his passion spoke eloquently to the girl of the fineness and chivalry of his nature, so noith a feeling of utter trustfulness that she gladly gave herself into the keeping of Henri Theriere, Count de Cadenet, Second Officer of the Halfmoon