way
that my course lay on the south side of the island, and in a short time
I came in sight of the schooner. I tell you what it is, I nearly went
into fits--I knew her at once. A little farther on, and I saw you all
cutting like mad over the beach to my camp. I was going to put after
you at first; but the fact is, I hated the island so that I couldn't
bear to touch it again, and so I concluded I'd go on board and signal.
So I came up alongside, and got on board. Solomon was down below; so I
just stepped forward, and put my head over the hatchway, and spoke to
him. I declare I thought he'd explode. He didn't think I was a ghost
at all. It wasn't fear, you know--it was nothing but delight, and all
that sort of thing, you know. Well, you know, then we went to work
signaling to you, and he took the fog horn, and I went to the flag, and
so it was."

"I don't know how we happened not to see your boat," said Bruce.

"O, that's easy enough to account for," said Tom. "I was hid by the
east point of the island. I didn't see the schooner till I got round,
and you must have been just getting ashore at that time."

During all this time Solomon had been wandering about in a mysterious
manner; now diving below into the hold, and rattling the pots and pans;
again emerging upon deck, and standing to listen to Tom and look at
him. His face shone like a polished boot; there was a grin on his face
that showed every tooth in his head, and his little twinkling black
beads of eyes shone, and sparkled, and rolled about till the winking
black pupils were eclipsed by the whites. At times he would stand
still, and whisper solemnly and mysteriously to himself, and then,
without a moment's warning, he would bring his hands down on his
thighs, and burst into a loud, long, obstreperous, and deafening peal
of uncontrollable laughter.

"Solomon," said Tom, at last, "Solomon, my son, won't you burst if you
go on so? I'm afraid you may."

At this Solomon went off again, and dived into the hold. But in a
minute or two he was back again, and giggling, and glancing, and
whispering to himself, as before. Solomon and Captain Corbet thus had
each a different way of exhibiting the same emotion, for the feeling
that was thus variously displayed was nothing but the purest and most
unfeigned joy.

"See yah, Mas'r Tom--and chil'n all," said Solomon, at last. "Ise
gwine to pose dat we all go an tend to sometin ob de fust portance.
Hyah's Mas'r