The Press., 1891-04-23
am not We are one too many. and

l you know it. The occazon is good. If you are not a coward we will profit by it." l 'fHOws"
 4 Let one of us follow Pere Lc1dure." 'IWhichS"
 l 'tLet's leave that to fate, to the first sea shipped If it is to starboard it's you. If 1t s to larboard it's me. Will that works"
 fit will"
 The two men were silent. A minute elapsed as long as a century. The tempest seemed to have abated 8 trife. The waves came less swiftly. At last one of them | swept the deck. 4LsrboardP' cried Jean. Its me!'' He stood nailed to his place, silent Then he resumed: "You are in luckl Besides, the sea is growing calm. You are likely to see Marie againr' He paused once more | fof an instant. You have too much luckp cried he at last in choking voice. Sud- dahly he stood erect and walked toward tho hatchway. ....-
 "where are you going?" demanded Pierre.
 "Where pleaser" replied Jean, in a tone of brutal rage. "You will give me five min utes' grace, hopee'
 He opened the hatchway and went down. Pierre remained above in the darkness, his visage scourged by the foam.
 When five minutes had elapsed Jean re- turned to the deck. He placed his back against the mast and seemed to be waiting I for something.
 Pierre said to him: "Jean, you are mad. You are not going to cast yourself in the sea?"
 "Why not?" answered Jean. Have I T not lost2"
 sI release you Remain on boardr' At that moment Pierre listened. What is Rding on below?" resumed he. 'Is the smack on fireT
 ''You had too much luck, my boy" said Jean with a sullen sheer. 'I have fired the vesselr'
 .Cowardr' cried Pierre.
 Fl am no coward" replied Jean. ''The proof it is that am going to pay my debtr' And clearing the bulwarks at q bound he vanished.
 Pierre rushed to the hatchway and went down three steps. He came up choked. Biting smoke filled his throat. The wretched Jean had made good use of his five minutes grace He had emptied the keg of brandy upon q heap of tarred rope and already the entire hold was in flames How was Pierre to quench the fire? Five men would not have sufficed for that.
 Then Pierre sat down on the bench at the stern and mechanically seized the l was about to quit. Almost at once the wind had fallen. The sca was yet dis turbed, but its fury had visibly weakened.
 Pierre remained upon the bench as if stupefed, hearing the plank partitions crack beneath him as the fire gnawed them. Suddenly jet of rcd flame escaped through the open hatchway. The deck was burning.
 From minute to minute the fire increased. Shortly before the sea sweeping over the smack would have extinguished it, or at leasts< fought it. Now, having doubtless escaped from the furious circle of the hur- ricane. the vessel no longer shipped water. It went along inert, tossed from wave to wave, plunging and coming up again, send ing forth, as each succeeding pillow lifted it, a binding plume of fire.
 The remainder of the wind that was blowing coming from behind, it was to the fore of the smack that the flames made headway For the half hour his agony had lasted Pierre had remained motionless, staring around him at the bloody light with which the blazing smack empurpled the waves Now, suddenly feeling the ap- preaching fire, he threw himself upon his knees, made the sign of the cross aad fell fiat on the deck, his face against the burn ing blanks.
 l HOW long OlU 00 He there III Cue LOrpOf of his mute resignation? A few minutes perhaps. Suddenly shouts burst upon his ear He raised his head; there, very neaI him, boat manned by four sailors was coming on as rapidly as oars could bring it, fantastically illuminated by the wild glare of the fire.
 "Ho there!' cried voice.
 Pierre opened his lips to reply. Rut just at that moment he felt the smack sink be ne3th him and flood of salt water roughly All his mouth and ears Pere Landure's vessel plunged down ward bow first
 When he came to himself, lying upon his back in the lifeboat, Pierre saw huge bearded face bending over him. As he opened his eyes the face spoke:
 1t was lucky for you, my boy, that youl smack caught firel Had it not been for that we should never have seen you amid the thick darknessp'
 When Pierre, year later, married Ma rie he told her the story of that terrible night.
 "He was bad fellow. that Jean," sail he; don't you think so, my love! Still il is because he tried to kill me that an alive todayi'
 "n you think proper, my own Pierre, said Marie, i've will burn a WAX candle fer his poor soulr' Translated from th' French of Joseph Montet for Philadelphia