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  see nothing else when the poor lad's about, not that he seems to notice it.'

Is he a good man professionally?' I inquired.

" 'He is all of that and more,' answered Burton, and was going on to tell me that, although off duty at that moment, Dalton was hard at work superintending some repairs on the ice-machine when he was interrupted . . . . just as we were a few moments ago."

"No!" I cried involuntarily, as Leyden paused; "not that!"

"Yes, Doctor . . . the sequence of events was almost identical: the same explosion . . . the same sensation as of being hit by a shell . . . the same instant's pause followed by cries, one louder than the others, and the same stampede for the deck, the air, freedom from torture and suffocation; but in Dalton's case no one was quick-witted enough to think of Rhine wine or vinegar, and we had to hold him until the doctor came . . . Ach! . ..

"It seemed a long time, Doctor, especially [ 277 ]