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The night was low, only the diffused illuers of the Fair Play to identify that blacker darkness on the horizon ahead of them as land The ship herself was no looht betrayed her presence, not even so arette Orders of the strictest had been issued and the expedicionarios, gathered along the rails, were not inclined to disregard thehts before the Fair Play, in spite of every precaution, had shoved her nose fairly into a hornets' nest and had ed to escape only by virtue of the darkness and the speed of her engines

She had approached within a -place when over the ht of a Spanish patrol-boat; like a thief surprised at his work the tra until she lay safe a her way back, soe with the captain Two s in a blind search for that steep hich forave the, the Fair Play lost her headway and ca lazily; in the silence that ensued Leslie Branch's recurrent cough barked loudly

"They're afraid to go closer, on account of the reef," O'Reilly explained to his companions

"That must be it that I hear," Norine ventured "Orin my ears"

"Probably the latter," said Branch "I'm scared stiff I don't like reefs Are there any sharks in these waters?"

"Plenty"

"Well, I'lad I'm thin," the sick man murmured

Major Ra for a volunteer boat's crew to reconnoiter and to look for an opening through the reef Before the words were out of his mouth O'Reilly had offered hi-oar of one of the ship's life-boats, heading shoreward A hundred yards, and the Fair Play was lost to view; but, keeping his face set toward that inky horizon, O'Reilly guided his boat perhaps a half- Now through the stillness ca whisper, the voice of the barrier reef