BARREN HONOUR.



without interference; but soon it became
terribly evident that fully a third of those
on board must be left behind, from ab-
solute want of boat-room. Then the
real, selfish struggle began, some of the
sailors setting the example, and all or-
der and authority was at an end. As
Alan stood in the background, a man
came up behind him and touched his
arm, without speaking. It was Jock
Ellison, whose father and grand-father
had been keepers before him at the Ab-
bey; he had accompanied Wyverne
through Africa and India; his constitu-
tion and strength seemed climate-proof,
no peril disturbed his cheerful equanim-
ity, and he would have laid down his
life to serve his master any day, as the
merest matter of duty.
  It did Alan good to see the hand-
some, honest, northern face, and the
bright, bold, blue eyes close to his
shoulder. lie smiled as he spoke.
  " We're in a bad mess, Jock, I
fear. Keep near rBe, whatever happens.
You've always done that so far, and
we've always pulled through."
  The stout henchman was slow of
speech as he was ready of hand. Be-
fore he could reply, Wyverne's atten-
tion was called elsewhere.
  A few steps from where they were
standing, a pale, sickly-looking woman
sat alone, leaning against the bulwarks.
She felt she was too weak to force a
passage through the crowd, so she had
sunk down there, hopeless and helpless.
She kept trying to hush the wailing of
her frightened child, though the big,
heavy tears were rolling fast down her
own cheeks, moaning low at intervals,
always the same words-" Ah! Willie,
Willie 1" It was her husband's name,
and the poor creature was thinking how
hard he had been slaving these three
years to make a home for her and
"Minnie" out there in the West, and
how he had been living on crusts to
save their passage money-only to
bring them to this. Alan had been at-
tracted by the pair soon after he came
on board, they seemed so very lonely
and defenseless and so wonderfully fond
of each other. He had been kind to
them on several occasions. and had made
       12



great friends with "Minnie," a pret-
ty timid, fragile child of five or six
years.
  lie went up now, and laid his hand
gently on the mother's shoulder.
  "Don't lose heart," he said, " but
trust to me. You shall meet your hus-
band yet, please God. You will be
almost safe when you are once in a
boat. The sea is not rough, and you
are certain to be picked up by some
vessel before many hours are over. The
only difficulty is to get to your place.
We'll manage that for you. Don't be
frightened if you hear an angry word
or two. I can carry Minnie on one
arm easily; let me put the other round
you; and wrap yourself in this boat-
cloak-there's enough in the pockets to
feed you for days at a strait, and it will
keep you both warm."
  He hardly noticed her gratitude, but
whispered a word or two to Jock Elli-
son, and moved steadily towards the
gangway with both his charges. The
gigantic Dalesman kept close to his
master's shoulder, rather in his front,
cleaving the crowd asunder with his
mighty shoulders, utterly regardless of
threat or prayer. Some of the better
sort, too, when they saw the white, deli-
cate woman, and the little child nestling
close to Alan's breast, till her golden
hair mingled with his black beard,
yielded room, not unwillingly, mutter-
ing-" Let them pass, at all events:
there's time enough yet." So, Wy-
verne had nearly reached the gangway,
when  a haggard, wild-looking man
thrust himself violently forward, evi-
dently determined to be the next to
descendL
  " You shall have the next turn," Alan
said firmly. "Let these two go first;
you see how helpless they are. They
are not strong enough to fight their own
battles."
  The other turned upon him furiously.
  "Who the -are you, that give
orders here" he screamed. "I've as
maich right to my life as the woman or
any of you. I'll have my turn in spite
of you all;" and he began to open a
clasp-knife.
  Alan's face grew very dark and stern.



177