56 MARTIN RATTLER.

flint and a little dry grass, which, when well bruised
and put into the pan, caught a spark after one or two
attempts, and was soon blown into a flame. But no
wood large enough to keep the fire burning for any
length of time could be found; so Barney said he
would go up to the forest and fetch some. “Tl lave
my shoes and socks, Martin, to dry at the fire. See
ye don’t let them burn.”

Traversing the meadow with hasty strides, the bold
sailor quickly reached the edge of the forest, where
he began to lop off several dead branches from the
trees with his cutlass. While thus engaged the howl
which had formerly startled him was repeated. “Av
I only knowed what ye was,” muttered Barney in a
serious tone, “it would be some sort o’ comfort.”

A loud cry of a different kind here interrupted his
soliloquy, and soon after the first cry was repeated
louder than before.

Clinching his teeth and knitting his brows the per-
plexed Irishman resumed his work with a desperate
resolve not to be again interrupted. But he had
miscalculated the strength of his nerves. Albeit as
brave a man ag ever stepped, when his enemy was
before him, Barney was, nevertheless, strongly imbued
with superstitious feelings; and the conflict between

his physical courage and his mental cowardice pro-