648 The Demon Ship. [DEC. 



hold revel there to night." A step now came softly down the cabin 

 stair, and a hand tried the door, but found it fastened. I quitted Mar- 

 garet, and placed myself at the entrance of the cabin. " Whoever," 

 said I, " attempts to come into this place does it at peril of his life. I 

 fire the instant the latch is raised." A voice said, " Laissez moi entrer 

 done." I hesitated for a moment, and then unfastened the door. Girod 

 entered, and locked it after him. He dragged in with him four strings, 

 with heavy stones appended to them, and the same number of sacks. 

 The females sank on the floor. In the twinkling of an eye Girod rolled 

 up the carpet of the cabin, and took up the trap-door, which every 

 traveller knows is to be found in the cabins of merchantmen. " In 

 in," he said in French to the countess and myself. I immediately 

 descended, received Margaret into my arms, and was holding them out 

 for the other females, when the trap-door was instantly closed and 

 bolted, the carpet laid down, the cabin door unlocked, and Girod called 

 out, " Here you, Harry, Jack, how call you yourselves, I've done for 

 two of dem. I can't manage no more. Dat tamned Captain Lyon, 

 when I stuff him in de sack, he almost brake de arm." Heavy feet 

 trampling over the cabin floor, with a sound of scuffling and struggling, 

 were now heard over our head. A stifled shriek, which died into a 

 deep groan, succeeded then two heavy plashes into the water, 

 with the bubbling noise of something sinking beneath the waves, and 

 the fate of the two innocent sisters was decided. " Where's Monsieur 

 Girod ?" at length said a rough voice. " Oh, he's gone above," was the 

 reply ; " thinks himself too good to kill any but quality." " No, no/' 

 answered the other, " I'm Girod's, through to the back-bone the fun- 

 niest fellow of the crew. But he had a private quarrel against that 

 captain down at the bottom of the sea there, so he asks our commander 

 not to let any body lay hands on him but himself. A very natural thing 

 to ask. There close that locker, heave out the long table, there'll be 

 old revel here to-night." At this moment Girod again descended. " All 

 hands aloft, ma lads," he cried, ' ' make no attention to de carpet dere 

 matters not, for I most fairst descend, and give out de farine for pasty. 

 We have no more cursed voyagers, so may make revel here to naight 

 vidout no incommode." He soon descended with a light into our wooden 

 dungeon. 



Her own unexpected rescue, the fate of her domestics, and the sudden 

 obscurity in which we were involved, had almost overpowered Mar- 

 garet's senses, but they returned with the light. " Poor Katie, poor 

 Mary. Alas ! for their aged mother !" she said, in the low and subdued 

 tone of one who seems half dreaming a melancholy and frightful dream, 

 and looking with horror at Girod. " I would have saved you all, had 

 it been possible/' said Jacqueminot, in French. " But how were all to 

 be hid, and kept in this place ? What I have done is at the risk of my 

 life. But there is not a moment to be lost. I have the keeping of the 

 stern-hold. Look you here be two rows of meal-sacks fore and aft. 

 If you, miladi, can hide behind one, and you, colonel, behind the other, 

 ye may have, in some sort, two little chambers to yourselves, after Eng- 

 lish fashion. Or if you prefer the same hiding-place, take it, in hea- 

 ven's name, but lose not a moment." " And what will be the end of all 

 this ?" asked I, after some hurried expressions of gratitude. " God 

 knoweth," he replied. " I will from time to time, when I descend to 

 give out meal, and clean the place, bring you provisions. How long 



