The chances are that he knows all about the matter, but does not want it mentioned until his pleasure trip is over.

* * * * *

A sad story of a wrecked steamer has just reached us.

The vessel, the Aden, was one of the steamers which carry passengers from Europe to India, passing through the Suez Canal.

Heavy winds and storms have been raging in the Indian Ocean for some weeks past; in fact, the storms and the earthquake about which we told you came at the same time.

The unfortunate steamer was caught in one of these tempests, and driven on a reef off Socotra Island.

Socotra is at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden.  It is into this gulf that the Red Sea flows.

As soon as the accident occurred the life-boats were launched, and some of the passengers and crew were put aboard them.

Unhappily the sea was running so high that the boats could not live in it.  They were soon overturned and their occupants drowned.

Two other boats were smashed to pieces in the effort to launch them, and finally seven persons found themselves forced to stay by the wreck.

The accident happened in the dead of night, and until the daylight came they were clinging together, expecting that the vessel would go down at any moment.

When morning came they found that the ship was so tightly wedged on the rocks that she was not likely to sink, but they were out of sight of land, and had no chance of rescue unless some passing vessel happened to see them.

To add to their misery, great waves were constantly washing over the wreck.  They had taken refuge in one of the deck cabins, and here they were forced to stay for three or four days until the waters became calmer.

They were at first afraid that they would be starved, but a few biscuits were found in the cabin, and on these they subsisted until it was safe to cross the deck to the cook’s galley without danger of being washed overboard.  Here they found provisions.

Two women were of the party, and they appear to have behaved very well, doing their share toward making their comrades comfortable, and preparing the best meals they could under the circumstances.

When the storm was so far abated that they dared to go on deck, they set signals, in the hopes of attracting some passing vessel.

Two vessels, however, passed without noticing them, but at last, after fourteen days of anxiety and fear, help came to them.

They were taken off the vessel and brought safely to land.

The owners of the Aden made full inquiry into the cause of the disaster, and attributed it to the storm, and not to any carelessness on the part of captain or crew.

* * * * *

There will have to be a new trial of the case against the Tobacco Trust, the jury having been discharged by the court.