As they were still gazing, with hands above their eyes, out into the pitchy gloom of that wild sea, suddenly there was a flash as of red lightning, then a gun roared out, awakening a hundred echoes among the rocks. 'Oh, Mr Blake, Mr Blake, the bark has struck!' 'I fear she has, Lotty. But nothing can be done. Why, I wonder, do they not fire a rocket?' 'Because, dear Mr Blake, perhaps they haven't one.' 'Well, calm yourself, Lotty. We can only pray for them, and before long the coastguard may come with the lifeboat crew.' 'Ay, but they will never know. Kelly will take two long hours to reach B---- and by that time, oh dear, oh! there may not be a soul left on board the bark, nor a plank for a drowning man to cling to.' Biffins Lee himself had come up. 'A sad business out yonder in the dark o' the neap, I fear, Mr Blake.' There was no sign of sorrow in the man's voice. In fact, he seemed but looking upon the whole affair from a spectacular point of view. Another flash and another reverberating roar. 'One more gun!' said Biffins coolly. 'She can't hold together long if she be on the Partan,' he added, 'or even inside it, which is more likely. I'm going to tell Mary to heat water and to set men to watch the surf for dark things--bodies--coming in. We may save life, Mr Blake, and what a fine advertisement for the Queerest Show on Earth!' Probably Frank Antony had never troubled himself to hate the man before, but he did now; and, though the young man's arm was held down by his side, he clinched his fist and gnashed his teeth. Then came the questioning thought to his mind, just as it had often come before: 'Can this brute really be the father of the sweet child who is standing by my side?' And as Lee went out of sight, up out of the dark o' the neap seemed to arise the answer: 'He cannot be her father, be the mystery what it may!' Antony turned now to speak to Lotty. He missed her. She was here not a minute ago, but now she was gone. 'Lotty, Lotty!' he called, and even Wallace raised his voice, barking a strange, querulous kind of bark, and that was Antony's only answer. 'She is off to light the lamps in the "Gipsy Queen,"' he said to himself. So he lit a cigar, and went smoking towards the caravan. But it was all in darkness. He met Mary. 'Have you seen Lotty?' he said. 'A few moments ago. Yes, Mr Blake. She was going towards the big marquee.' _Ee-yowf_ barked Wallace again. It was the strangest sort of bark ever the young man had heard him utter--speakingly strange, in fact. Then he started off in the direction of the swinging, swaying petroleum lights of the camp.