But Wicks and Carthew heeded him no longer.  They lay back on the gunnel, breathing deep, sunk in a stupor of the body:  the mind within still nimbly and agreeably at work, measuring the past danger, exulting in the present relief, numbering with ecstasy their ultimate chances of escape.  For the voyage in the man-of-war they were now safe; yet a few more days of peril, activity, and presence of mind in San Francisco, and the whole horrid tale was blotted out; and Wicks again became Kirkup, and Goddedaal became Carthew—­men beyond all shot of possible suspicion, men who had never heard of the Flying Scud, who had never been in sight of Midway Reef.

So they came alongside, under many craning heads of seamen and projecting mouths of guns; so they climbed on board somnambulous, and looked blindly about them at the tall spars, the white decks, and the crowding ship’s company, and heard men as from far away, and answered them at random.

And then a hand fell softly on Carthew’s shoulder.

“Why, Norrie, old chappie, where have you dropped from?  All the world’s been looking for you.  Don’t you know you’ve come into your kingdom?”

He turned, beheld the face of his old schoolmate Sebright, and fell unconscious at his feet.

The doctor was attending him, a while later, in Lieutenant Sebright’s cabin, when he came to himself.  He opened his eyes, looked hard in the strange face, and spoke with a kind of solemn vigour.

“Brown must go the same road,” he said; “now or never.”  And then paused, and his reason coming to him with more clearness, spoke again:  “What was I saying?  Where am I?  Who are you?”

“I am the doctor of the Tempest,” was the reply.  “You are in Lieutenant Sebright’s berth, and you may dismiss all concern from your mind.  Your troubles are over, Mr. Carthew.”

“Why do you call me that?” he asked.  “Ah, I remember—­Sebright knew me!  O!” and he groaned and shook.  “Send down Wicks to me; I must see Wicks at once!” he cried, and seized the doctor’s wrist with unconscious violence.

“All right,” said the doctor.  “Let’s make a bargain.  You swallow down this draught, and I’ll go and fetch Wicks.”

And he gave the wretched man an opiate that laid him out within ten minutes and in all likelihood preserved his reason.

It was the doctor’s next business to attend to Mac; and he found occasion, while engaged upon his arm, to make the man repeat the names of the rescued crew.  It was now the turn of the captain, and there is no doubt he was no longer the man that we have seen; sudden relief, the sense of perfect safety, a square meal and a good glass of grog, had all combined to relax his vigilance and depress his energy.

“When was this done?” asked the doctor, looking at the wound.

“More than a week ago,” replied Wicks, thinking singly of his log.

“Hey?” cried the doctor, and he raised his hand and looked the captain in the eyes.