Page:The Wreck of a World - Grove - 1890.djvu/91

Rh thought I heard a slight report like a distant pistol shot, and listened intently for further sounds. But all was perfectly still. This was about a quarter before one. I stayed on watch till four, when I went and knocked at his door, and got no answer. I called out 'Four o'clock, sir,' and still got no answer. So I went in, and there found the poor fellow on his knees beside his berth. Quite dead, sir, and the revolver beside him, with one barrel discharged."

On reaching the ship we proceeded to the cabin which Dana had locked up, and found it was as he had said. Poor Lieut. Danvers had died by his own hand, through grief and disappointment at the loss of his promised bride. Yes, in spite of Shakespeare and Rosalind, some men have died for love, and he was the last. Poor fellow: his quiet reserved manner had given no indication of the dreadful shock he had received. So with one more heavy blow to burden our sad hearts we prepared our fateful voyage.

There was much to be done, but thanks to the system of tickets we got all our people on board with the minimum of trouble. The greater part of the labour of provisioning was saved us by the fact that