That very night, a great ocean steamer, bound from the Antipodes to Old England, chanced to diverge from her true course, and sighted the beacon-fire which Tomlin--on duty at the time--was stirring up to fervent heat. The Captain was not one of those whom Terrence O'Connor credited with diabolic possession. He was a good man; and, knowing that men did not light beacon-fires on lonely islands merely for amusement, he resolved to lay-to till daylight, which was due in about an hour from the time the island was sighted. Meanwhile, he sounded his steam whistle. At the sound, the hut instantly disgorged its male inmates, who, recognising the familiar noise and the steamer's lights, sent up a shout of mingled joy and thanksgiving. "Get out the boat, boys!" cried Hayward, as he ran back to the hut to rouse the women. "Get ready, quick! Eva; a steamer at last, thank God, in the offing! Don't lose a moment. They may have little time to wait. Boat will be ready in a few minutes." "Ay, an' pack up all you want to carry away," cried the coxswain, crossing the threshold at that moment. "So it is all going to end suddenly like a dream!" said Eva, as she hastened to obey orders. "Home, sweet home!" murmured Nellie, trembling with joy at the prospect. "Wherever you are, my dear, the home will be sweet," said Peggy. "Though of course it wouldn't be that without your 'usband, for it takes two to make a fight, you know, an' it takes two no less, I think, to make things pleasant, but--dear, dear, what a disagreeable thing it is to 'ave to dress in a 'urry, though one shouldn't--" "Look alive, there! look al-i-ve!" roared O'Connor, putting his head in at the door. "Daylight's a-breakin', an' they won't--" "Oh! Terrence, that reminds me--don't forget our pets," cried Nellie, who had steadily declined to speak of them as "live stock." "All right, missis. It's lookin' after them I am this minnit." The Irishman ran, as he spoke, to the styes and hutches where the pigs and rabbits were kept and opened the doors. "Out wid ye!" he cried, "the Act of Emancipation's passed, and ye're all free--ivery mother's son of ye." Accustomed to his voice and his caressing hand, the astonished creatures seemed to look up at him in surprise. "Be aff, at wance, hooroo!" cried the excited man, with a clap of his hands and a Donnybrook yell that sent all the "pets" leaping and squealing into their native jungle.