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724 me that you wrote it, sitting at my desk at noon to-day."

"That is impossible. I was on the wreck miles away."

"I saw you there writing it, as distinctly as I see you now," put in Bruce.

The captain of the wreck turned to the passenger, and said: "Did you dream that you wrote on a slate?"

"Not that I can recall," replied he.

"Now you speak of dreaming," said the skipper, "may I inquire what the gentleman was about at noon to-day?"

"Captain," said the other, "he had become greatly exhausted, and fell into a heavy sleep, some time before noon, and remained in that condition for over an hour. When he awoke he said to me, 'Captain, I am confident that we shall be relieved this very day. When I asked him his reason for so saying, he replied that he had dreamt that he was on board a vessel, and that he was convinced she was coming to our rescue. He described her appearance and outward rig, and, to our astonishment, when your vessel hove in sight, she corresponded exactly to his description. We had not, I must admit, much confidence in his assurance. As it has happened, it looks uncommon like as if Providence had interfered to save us in a very mysterious manner."

"There can be no doubt about that," replied the other captain. "It is due to that writing on the slate, however it came about, that all your lives are saved. I was steering at the time considerably south of west, and I altered my course to nor'-west, on account of the writing on the slate." Then, turning to the passenger, he inquired, "Did you dream of writing on a slate?"

"Not that I am aware of. I have no recollection of that; but I may say that everything here on board