صفحة 258 من 416

At last he turned to the contents of the box that he had

uncovered. Removing the package, he slid the cover down over the

opening for fear that his guard, looking in a window, might

become aware of what he had discovered. Then, sitting on the bed,

he unwrapped the package.

It was a beautiful, clear mirror bound with silver nickel and

fitted with screw attachments as though it were intended to be

fastened to something.

At first this unusual discovery meant nothing whatever to him.

Then, as he turned the object listlessly in his hands, his eyes

fell upon three engraved letters, C. A. S., and a date, 1908.

Then he remembered.

When he was twenty years old his father had taught him the

science of navigation, so that if anything happened Code might

sail the old _May Schofield_.

Because of the fact that a position at sea was found by observing

the heavenly bodies, Code had become interested in astronomy, and

had learned to chart them on a sky map of his own.