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them, and for half an hour circled about them with majestic sweeps. And, once, a huge ray-fish, measuring a score of feet across the tips, passed within a few yards.

By sunset, Minnie began to rave, softly, babblingly, like a child. Duncan's face grew haggard as he watched and listened, while in his mind he revolved plans of how best to end the hours of agony that were coming. And, so planning, as they rose on a larger swell than usual, he swept the circle of the sea with his eyes, and saw what made him cry out.

"Minnie!" She did not answer, and he shouted her name again in her ear, with all the voice he could command. Her eyes opened, in them fluttered commingled consciousness and delirium. He slapped her hands and wrists till the sting of the blows roused her.

"There she is, the chance in a million!" he cried. "A steamer at that, heading straight for us! By George, it 's a cruiser! I have it!—the Annapolis, returning with those astronomers from Tutuwanga.

•••••••

United States Consul Lingford was a fussy, elderly gentleman, and in the two years of his