“Thank Heaven! it is not near so bad as I had expected to find it! It is an ugly flesh wound at worst, and he’ll weather it. You see, a pistol ball has entered here on his right side and furrowed its way clear across the chest, and come out under the left arm. No wonder he bled so much. But he could bear it. He could bear it!” While the doctor spoke he lost no time; he was busy cutting long, slim strips of sticking plaster, with which he gradually brought the ragged edges of the wound together, securing them by laying the strips at right angles with the length of the wound, and then carefully bandaging. When this was done, with young Ethel’s assistance, he washed his patient thoroughly, put fresh clothes on him and laid him on his bed. Lastly the doctor administered restoratives, that soon brought the captain to himself. On recovering his consciousness, Captain Yetsom looked languidly around, and, finding himself upon his bed, and, seeing Dr. Brown and Lieutenant Ethel bending anxiously over him, he feebly inquired: “Why am I here? What has happened?” “You have been wounded, but not seriously. You fainted from loss of blood and fell upon your cabin floor. Lieutenant Ethel found you and called me. And we have dressed your wound, and undressed you and put you to bed, where you are to remain for the present.” The captain writhed and frowned. Of all things he abhorred to lie inactive in bed at this crisis. But he recognized the truth of the doctor’s words, and he submitted to necessity; the more readily because he felt that the few words he had spoken had already exhausted him. He rested to recover a little strength, and then he beckoned young Ethel to stoop close to his lips. “Mr. Ethel,” he whispered, “you will take command of both ships. See the prisoners secured according to your best judgment. Make all necessary repairs. Then—shape for Cape Town.” Having with difficulty given these orders, Captain Yetsom turned his face to the wall, and, from sheer exhaustion fell asleep. Dr. Brown and Lieutenant Ethel left the cabin. The doctor went to attend to his other cases. The lieutenant hastened to attend to the important duties that now devolved upon him. Meantime, where were our two young friends, and what were they about? Justin and Britomarte had returned to the _Xyphias_ with the officers and crew. As soon as the general congratulations upon the victory were over, Justin walked apart with Britomarte, and taking her unresisting hand in his, looked upon it with intense affection for a while, and then, in a low and earnest voice, he said: “You have gloriously redeemed your word, my sister. You have borne a heroic part in this engagement. You have passed where the cannonading has been heaviest, and you have risked your life in the thickest of the fight! But thank God—oh, forever and forever thank God that this white hand has been raised only to save and to heal, and not to slay!”