Loving burst suddenly into a fit of jarring laughter. “You needn’t say any more, Mr. Willoughby,” he cackled. “You’ve put the noose around my neck all right. Yes, I did it, I did it. I married that she-devil under your name, Howard, and when she followed me to New York I killed her. I didn’t mean to get you into it, but you got a letter she intended for me, and butted in just in time to get accused. You’ll bear me witness that I tried to save you; and I would have done it, too, if those fools in Porto Rico hadn’t identified your photograph as the man who married Dolores. All smooth-faced men in uniform look alike to them, I suppose. Well, it’s all up now, and I’m glad of it. Maybe you won’t believe me, but I haven’t had a happy moment since you were arrested. I’m not so bad as you think; that woman was a fiend and--but there’s the ship. I’ll go on board and write out a formal confession.” Unseen, the Duluth had approached and, as she ran smoothly alongside, Loving caught a Jacob’s-ladder swinging from a boom, and ran up it to the deck. Before any one could follow, the Duluth swung past, and, when a moment later her reversed screw brought her to a halt, the sound of a pistol-shot in her ward-room told that Loving had signed his confession with his blood. EPILOGUE The Sargasso Sea will soon be robbed of half its terrors. The Seashark Wrecking Company, with Howard at its head, and all his party as share-holders, has been formed to recover the great wealth still existing on the derelicts in the sea. It has opened communication with the wreck-pack by a paddle-wheel steamer that is expected to maintain a reasonably clear channel through the weed. The company is projecting a series of relief stations, and will keep up a constant patrol all round the wreck-pack. The expense, of course, will be enormous, but there is no doubt that the enterprise will meet it and will pay an enormous profit besides, even if not a single other treasure-ship is found. A message just received by wireless from the sea says that the first steamer of the company is about to start back to New York with a tremendously valuable cargo of salvage. It adds that Forbes and all his men have begged for passage, and that it will be granted them. The money left on the galleon, which Forbes was forced to divide, has made them all comparatively rich, and they are anxious to get back to civilization to spend their money. Their departure leaves Howard and his friends with an undisputed title to the salvage of the Isle of Dead Ships. THE END. _DELIGHTFULLY FASCINATING_ The Princess Dehra By JOHN REED SCOTT In which we meet again the characters of his dashing success, “_The Colonel of the Red Huzzars_” (Eleven editions).