(92 {H I

canvas cover and put them down upon the skylight, and by and byc, on his Ieaving the deck, hie took them below to his cabin, The moon roscabout ten that night. She came up hot, distorted, with a sullen face of belted vapour, but was soon clear ol the dewy thickness over the horizon and show- cring a purc greenish silver upon the sca. She made the night lovely and cool : her reflec- tion sparkled 1n the dew along the rans, and her becam whitened out the canvas into the tender softness of wreaths of cloud motionless upon the summit of some dark heap of mountain, 1 looked for the raft and saw it plainly, and 1t 13 not m language to express how the sight of that frail cradle of death deepenced the universal stlence and ex- panded the pro- digious distances dehined by the stars, and accen- tuated the tre- mendous spirit of loncliness that slept like a pre- scunce 1n that wide region of sea and air. There had not been a stir of wind all day : not the famtest breathing of breeze had tarnished the sca down to the hour of midnight when, feehng weary, 1 withdrew to my cabm. I slept well| spite of the heat and the cockroaches, and rosc at seven. I found the steward in the cabin, His face wore a look of concern, and on sceing me he mstantly exclaimed : “The captain scems very il sir.

“““THE MOON ROSE.,”

Might

STHRANT

W AGAZINE,

vou know anvthing of physic? Neither

Mr. Perkins nor me can make out what's . .M the matter. “ 1 know nothing ol physic,” I answered, “hut ' ook in on him.” [ stepped to his door, knocked and en- tered.

Captain Cayzer lay in a bunk under a middling-sized porthole + the cabin was full ot

the morning light. 1 started and stood at

oazZe, scarce crediting my sieht, so shocked and astounded was [ by the dreadiul change which had hap- pened 1n the night mthe poor man's appear- ance. s face was bluc, and [ remarkced a cadaverous sink -

e m ol the cveballs: the

lips were livid, the hands like- wizc blue, but strangely wrinkled Like a washerwoman's. On sceing me he asked inoa husky whispering voice for a drink of water. I handed him a full pannikin, which he drained feverishly, and then began to moan and cry out, making some wealk miserable cfforts to rub st one arm, then the other, then his legs.

The steward stood m the doorway. [ twrned to him, senxible that my face was ashen, and asked some questions. [ then sadd, “Where 12 My, Pevkins 2V

[Te was on deck. 1 bade the steward attend to the captain, aid passed through the hatch to the quarter-deck, where 1 found the mate.

“ Do vou know that the captain 1s very tl 27 sand T

“ Do T Kknow 1t sirz o Why, veso Tve been sitting by him chafing his Timbs and civing him water to drink, and attending to him i other ways. What 1s 1ty d'yc know, sir 7

“Cholera 77 sard .