Part 14 (1/2)

Brandon dragged away all the bodies, laid him in as easy a posture as possible, and then rushed up to the deck for so he dashed it over the Hindu, and bound up one or tounds which seeht the Hindu to consciousness

The man opened his eyes, looked upon Brandon first with astonish his hand lish

”Bless de Lor! Sahib!”

Brandon hurried up on deck and calling some of the sailors had the Hindu conveyed there All crowded around hiradually found out about the attack of the pirates The shi+p had been becalht, evidently with evil intentions They had kept a good watch, and when the fog caht the, and had found them They had resisted well, but were overpowered by nuht till the last by the side of his captain

Without waiting to hear the Hindu's story Brandon went back to the cabin The door that opened into the inner cabin was shut He tried it It was locked He looked into the keyhole It was locked from the inside

[Illustration: ”SHE FLUNG HERSELF ON HER KNEES IN A TRANSPORT OF GRAtitUDE”] ”Is any one there?” he asked

A cry of surprise was the sole answer

”You are safe We are friends Open!” cried Brandon

Then caht footsteps, the key was turned, the door slided back, and there appeared before the astonished eyes of Brandon a young girl, who, theherself on her knees in a transport of gratitude and raised her face to Heaven, while her lips uttered inaudible words of thanksgiving

She was quite a young girl, with a delicate, slender frame, and features of extreularly colorless Her eyes were large, dark, and luminous Her hair fell in rich masses over her shoulders In one hand she held a knife, to which she clung with a death-like tenacity

”Poor child!” murmured Brandon, in accents of tenderest commiseration

”It is but little that you could do with that knife”

She looked up at hi steel, and, with a solemnity of accent which showed how deeply she was in earnest, murmured, half to herself,

”It could at least have saved me!”

Brandon sive at seeing the spirit or prowess of some idolized son

”There is no need,” he said, with a voice of deep feeling, ”there is no need of that now You are saved You are avenged Coirl rose ”But wait,” said Brandon, and he looked at her earnestly and s here which you should not see Will you shut your eyes and let irl ”I will not shut my eyes”

”You ht of that venerable woirl looked at hih about to refuse There was so in his face so full of compassion, and entreaty, and calm control, that she consented She closed her eyes and held out her hand

Brandon took it and led her through the place of horror and up to the deck

Her appearance was greeted with a cry of joy froirl looked around She saw the Malays lying dead upon the deck She saw the shi+p that had rescued, and the proa that had terrified her But she saw no familiar face

She turned to Brandon with a face of horror, and hite lips asked:

”Where are they all?”

”Gone,” said Brandon

”What! All?” gasped the girl