"If this thing keeps up much longer, I'll just be a wreck, that's all," groaned Laura, and almost immediately she fell asleep.

Then the boys bent down and began extricating the groaning thing from the wreck of something.

The boys had succeeded in removing the man from the wreckageone glance about them told the girls that the wreck had once been an aeroplaneand the man, who was elderly, lay quite still, looking up at them with sick eyes.

" "It's a miracle," said Teddy, who had joined her and was looking down at the wreck soberly, "that he ever came out alive.

He will alone wreck the rebel cause if he is given time.

He had known the company that bought her was getting near the rocks, but they had insured her heavily and there was something strange about the wreck.

If his supposition were correct, the wreck might be worth buying and one could, no doubt, buy her very cheap.

After weighing for some weeks all he could learn about the wreck on the African coast, Cartwright went to London and was carried up one morning to the second floor of an imposing office block.

" "Then, I expect you have made some calculations and know all about the efforts to float the wreck.

All the same, Mr. Morse did not altogether see why he wanted to buy the wreck.

"Personally, I felt from the beginning there was a mystery about the wreck.

Soon after his return he sent for Lister and told him about the wreck and his salvage plans.

"If you can float the wreck and bring her home, I expect some of the big salvage companies will offer you a post.

Why do you hope to lift the wreck when the salvage men could not?" Cartwright smiled.

He told her about the wreck, and smiled when he stated that Lister would have control.

Finding it necessary to go to London, he called on the gentleman from whom he had bought the wreck a short time ago.

I want you to make an extra effort, because" She paused and the blood came to her skin when she went on: "You see, it's important you should float the wreck and bring her home.

Cartwright sends me off to float the wreck, and if it's possible, I must make good.

CHAPTER II THE WRECK The night was calm, but now and then a faint, hot wind blew from the shadowy coast, and rippling the water, brought a strange, sour smell.

He first repaired the damaged ships, freed the slaves that served on the triremes, and assigned the spare seamen, (many of whom when their vessels were destroyed in the wreck had dived and escaped by swimming) to Antony's fleet, which was short of men.

The wreck of the steamship Titanic, of the White Star Line, the newest and biggest and presumably the safest ship in the world, is the greatest marine disaster known in the history of ocean traffic.

Far as the eye could reach no spot of light broke the gray darkness; yet other ships could hear and read the cry for help, and, wheeling in their courses, they drove full speed ahead for the wreck.

Now and then he gave the ship's position in latitude and longitude as nearly as it could be estimated by her officers as she was carried southward by the current that runs swiftly in this northern sea, so that the rescuers could keep their prows accurately pointed toward the wreck.

And when the last crowded boat had come down and there was no possibility of removing one more human being from the wreck, there were still more than fifteen hundred men on her decks.

The conquerors pursued them a little way, and in the evening returned to the wreck, seizing the remainder of the enemy's vessels, and getting back some of their own, for they had themselves lost no less than fourscore islands in the engagement.