He caught hold of it with the desperate strength of one fighting for life, and held on with might and main.  His companion, if not dead, was utterly unconscious, for when Phil called to him he did not answer, and lay a limp, lifeless weight on his shoulder.

The gale appeared to be subsiding, for the cotton bale became more steady, and the rain had ceased to fall some time before.

The clouds broke away at last, and in the speck of blue peeped out a star.  Yet the swells were terrific, and carried them onward with fearful velocity—­where, only the All-seeing knew—­and when the dawn appeared in the east, exhausted, chilled to the heart, bruised and nearly naked, Phil and his insensible companion were flung ashore like two poor fragments of stranded sea-weed.  He had just strength enough left to crawl up out of reach of the breakers, and that was all.

His grip on Thad’s arm had not relaxed for a single second since the time he seized it at the moment of the ship’s final going to pieces.  His fingers seemed to have stiffened around it, and it was only by a sharp effort that he was able to force them away.

“Well, dead or alive,” he murmured, “I stuck by him, as I said, upon my word and honor, I would!  Thad! you can’t speak?  Then over you go!”

And Thad might have been a barrel by the way Phil rolled him about and shook him up.

“Thad!”

This time, Phil got an answer—­if a groan can be called such—­and it encouraged him mightily.

“You are coming to?”

Another groan.

“You feel better?”

“Yes,” with ghastly faintness.

“Any bones broken?”

“No-o; I can’t tell.  Where are we?”

The very question Lelia had asked him on a like terrible occasion.

“That’s more than I know.”

It was now broad daylight.

Phil looked around him, and his countenance fell.  They were on a barren rock in the Gulf Stream.

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

* * * * *

PUZZLEDOM.

No. 613.

Original contributions solicited from all.  Puzzles containing obsolete words will be received.  Write contributions on one side of the paper, and apart from all communications.  Address “Puzzle Editor,” GOLDEN DAYS, Philadelphia, Pa.

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLES

No. 1.  Knee-pen-the (Nepenthe).

No. 2.

      V
     A F
V A N I L L A
 F I N E E R
  L E G E R
 L E E W A Y
A R R A Y E R
     Y E
      R

No. 3.  This—­’tis.

No. 4.

L I T H A N T H R A X
  T R A C E R I E S
    I R O N I S T
      P R I E S
        N A R
          S

No. 5.  Water-melon.

No. 6.

C H A R I V A R I
H E B E T A T E
A B I L E N E
R E L U M E
I T E M S
V A N E
A T E
R E
I