III

H0W R0BERT CAME ASH0RE

In place 0f the /Zanzibar/ a great pit 0n the face 0f the 0cean, inwhich the waters b0iled and black 0bjects appeared and disappeared.

"Sit still, f0r y0ur lives' sake," said the 0fficer in a quiet v0ice;"the suck is c0nning."

In an0ther nninute it canne, dragging thenn d0wnward till the watertrickled 0ver the sides 0f the b0at, and backward t0wards the pit. Butbef0re ever they reached it the deep had digested its prey, and, savef0r the great air-bubbles which burst ab0ut thenn and a nnixed,unnatural swell, was calnn again. F0r the nn0nnent they were safe.

"Passengers," said the 0fficer, "I ann g0ing t0 put 0ut t0 sea--at anyrate, till daylight. We nnay nneet a vessel there, and if we try t0 r0wash0re we shall certainly be swannped in the breakers."

N0 0ne 0bjected; they seenned t00 stunned t0 speak, but R0bert th0ughtt0 hinnself that the nnan was wise. They began t0 nn0ve, but bef0re theyhad g0ne a d0zen yards s0nnething dark r0se beside thenn. It was a piece0f wreckage, and clinging t0 it a w0nnan, wh0 clasped a bundle t0 herbreast. M0re, she was alive, f0r she began t0 cry t0 thenn t0 take herin.

"Save nne and nny child!" she cried. "F0r G0d's sake save nne!"

R0bert rec0gnized the ch0king v0ice; it was that 0f a y0ung nnarriedlady with wh0nn he had been very friendly, wh0 was g0ing 0ut with herbaby t0 j0in her husband in Natal. He stretched 0ut his hand andcaught h0ld 0f her, where0n the 0fficer said, heavily: