"Twenty year passed away, and the affair was nigh about forgotten, when an English merchantman was sailing near the same island again, and a man leaped into the water, off a rock, and struck out, swimming for dear life towards the ship.
"They lowered a boat, and took him on board.
"'Who be you?' asked the captain.
"'Charles Danby,' said he, speaking good English, for all that he was tattooed all over his face like a native.
"'How did 'ee get theer?' asked the skipper.
"'I wor a midshipman on board His Majesty's frigate Achilles,' saith he. 'I wor sent in command of a boat's crew to get water, and they set upon us, and killed all but me. One of the women took a fancy to me, and hid me. She would have me marry her, but I didn't seem to care about it, and stuck out so long as I could.'"
"Poor soul," said Mr. Gilchrist.
Ralph laughed. "I'd like to see the dusky bride who would wed me against my will," cried he. "She'd soon find that she had caught a tartar."
"It worn't no laughing matter for he," said Osborn. "They there savages, they showed him his comrades, brought up one by one, and forced him to look on while they murdered them, roasted them, and eat them. They'd ha' served him the same but for the woman protecting him, and she threatened him that if he wouldn't have her she'd hand him over to the cannibals, who were always coming to look at him, and saying what a nice tender morsel he'd be, for he was so young and fair and rosy."
"I've heard of a man," said the incorrigible Ralph, still laughing, "who said, when he was first married, that he was so fond of his wife that he could have eaten her; and, afterwards, that he often wished he had."