“The Englishmen looked at me in amazement.  ‘Drunk!’ ejaculated the officer I had addressed.  ‘Cracked, I should say,’ suggested another.  ‘Now,’ spoke up Mr. Minturn, ’I do not understand what I have just heard,’ he said.  ‘What is a Water-devil?  I am astounded.’  ’You never said a word of this to me!’ exclaimed Miss Minturn.  ’You never told me that we were in the grasp of a Water-devil, and that that was the reason the captain and the crew ran away.’  ‘No,’ said I, ’I never divulged the dreadful danger we were in.  I allowed you to believe that we were in the influence of a current, and that the shocks we felt were the sudden twists of that current.  The terrible truth I kept to myself.  Not for worlds would I have made known to a tenderly nurtured lady, to her invalid father, and devoted servant, what might have crushed their souls, driven them to the borders of frenzy; in which case the relief which now has come to us would have been of no avail.’

“The officer stood and steadily stared at me.  ‘I declare,’ he said, ’you do not look like a crazy man.  At what time did this Water-devil begin to take you in tow?’

“‘Yesterday morning,’ I answered.  ‘And he stopped during last night?’ he asked.  I replied that that was the case.  Then he took off his cap, rubbed his head, and stood silent for a minute.  ’We’ll look into this matter!’ he suddenly exclaimed, and turning, he and his party left us to ourselves.  The boat was now sent back with a message to the English vessel, and the officers and men who remained scattered themselves over our steamer, examining the engine-room, hold, and every part of her.

“I was very much opposed to all this delay; for although the Englishmen might doubt the existence of the Water-devil, I saw no reason to do so, and in any case I was very anxious to be on the safe side by getting away as soon as possible; but, of course, British officers would not be advised by me, and as I was getting very hungry I went down to breakfast.  I ate this meal alone, for my fellow-passengers seemed to have no desire for food.

“I cannot tell all that happened during the next hour, for, to tell the truth, I did not understand everything that was done.  The boat passed several times between the two vessels, bringing over a number of men—­two of them scientific fellows, I think.  Another was a diver, whose submarine suit and air-pumping machines came over with him.  He was lowered over the side, and after he had been down about fifteen minutes he was hauled up again, and down below was the greatest hammering and hauling that ever you heard.  The General Brooks was put in charge of an officer and some men; a sail was hoisted to keep her in hand, so that she wouldn’t drift into the other ship; and in the midst of all the rowdy-dow we were told that if we liked we might go on board the English vessel immediately.

“Miss Minturn and her party instantly accepted this invitation, and although under ordinary circumstances I would have remained to see for myself what these people found out, I felt a relief in the thought of leaving that vessel which is impossible for me to express, and I got into the boat with the others.