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170 fatigue, and happy that they were together and so far away from the others.

It was not many hours after the truants had left that the wishes of Dr Fernandez were realised. They had just finished their mid-day meal when they saw the welcome sails of a schooner bear in sight, and soon afterwards they had the pleasure of watching her tack in between the rocks to their fine and sheltered natural harbour, and drop her anchor almost opposite to where they waited.

The George Washington, from New York, was the name of this Antarctic cruising schooner, and she had on board as hardy a set of sea-heroes as ever worked a ship through stormy waters.

The captain, three mates, and a dozen of tried seamen, comprised her crew—crafty hunters of seals and whales. This was their usual headquarters for the season just now beginning.

They gave the shipwrecked party a kindly and hearty greeting, listened to their fictitious story with credulity, and without demur promised to give them a free passage home in return for their assistance during the fishing season, which they gladly promised.

At the doctor's advice, his companions said nothing about the two absentees. He told them that he had heard the countess and her lover plotting during the night to go away and abandon the Cause, therefore that they were not likely to come back; so that it would be only causing delay to tell these humane men about others being on the land. Their main object now was to get off themselves.

They threw themselves with energy into the work, which suited both the doctor and Dennis, while the