could, while I replied, with all the composure he had left me, and that would not have quite filled a Winchester bushel. “He never left my side from the time he offered to take your place after you had been wounded.” He fell back against the locker as if he had been shot through the heart. His grasp relaxed, he drew his breath very hard, and I thought he had fainted. “Then it was not him that stood by me; I thought it might have been him, but I was a fool, it was impossible.” He made a desperate effort to recover his composure, and succeeded. “And, pray, Master Obediah,” quoth I, “what did you see?” He answered me sharply--“Never mind, never mind--here, Potomac, lend us a hand to sling a cot for this gentleman; there now, see the lanyard is sound, and the lacing all tight and snug--now put that mattrass into it, and there is linen in the chest.” In a trice my couch was rigged, all comfortable, snow-white linen, nice pillow, soft mattrass, &c. and Obed, filling me another tumbler, helped himself also; he then drank to my health, wished me a sound sleep, promised to call me at daylight, and as he left the cabin he said, “Mr Cringle, had it been my object to have injured you, I would not have waited until now. You are quite safe so far as depends on me, so take your rest--good night, once more.” I tumbled into bed, and never once opened my eyes until Obed called me at daylight, that is, at five in the morning, according to his promise. By this time we were well in with the Cuba shore; the land might be two miles from us, as we could see the white surf. Out at sea, although all around was clear as crystal, there was nothing to be seen of the Gleam or Firebrand, but there were ten or twelve fishing canoes, each manned with from four to six hands, close aboard of us;--we seemed to have got becalmed in the middle of a small fleet of them. The nearest to us hailed in Spanish, in a very friendly way. “Como estamos Capitan, que hay de nuevo; hay algo de bueno, para los pobres Pescadores?” and the fellow who had spoken laughed loudly.