."

"The cabin?"

"No, Hamilton, the provisions."

Not a soul among them all thought of their own lunch, any more than Mrs.
Kinzer herself did; but Joe and Fuz were not among them just then. On
the contrary, they were over there by the shore, where the "Jenny" had
been pulled up, trying to get Dab Kinzer to put them on board "The
Swallow."

"Somebody ought to be on board of her," said Fuz, in as anxious a tone
as he could assume, "with so many strange people around."

"It isn't safe," added Joe.

"Fact," replied Dab; "but then, I kind o' like to feel a little unsafe."

The Hart boys had a feeling, at that moment, that somehow or other Dab
knew why they were so anxious to go on board; and they were right
enough, for he was saying to himself, "They can wait. They do look
hungry, but they'll live through it. There ain't any cuffs or collars in
Ham's locker."

All there was then in the locker was soon out of it, after Mrs. Kinzer
and the rest came, for they brought with them the officers of the
wrecked bark; and neither Joe nor Fuz had an opportunity to so much as
"help distribute" that supply of provisions. Ham went over to see that
the distribution should be properly made; while Mrs. Kinzer saw her
little patient, with his father and mother, safely stowed on board "The
Swallow."

"I'll save that baby, anyhow," she said to Miranda; "and Ford says his
father's a farmer. We can find plenty for 'em to do. They'll never see a
thing of their baggage, and I guess they hadn't a great deal."

She was just the woman to guess correctly about such a matter.

At that moment Dabney was saying to Annie Foster,--

"Whom do you guess I've seen to-day?"

"I can't guess. Who was it?"

"The tramp!"

"The same one?"

"The very same. There he goes, over the sandhill yonder, with old Peter
the wrecker. We've got to hurry home now, but I'm going to set Ham
Morris on his track before we get through."

"You'll never find him again."

"Do you s'pose old Peter'd befriend a man that did what he did? Right on
the shore of the bay? No, indeed! There isn't a fisherman from here to
Montauk, that wouldn't join to hunt him out. He's safe to be found
whenever Ham wants him, if we don't scare him away now."

"Don't scare him, then," almost whispered Annie.

The wind was fair; and the home sail of "The Swallow" was really a swift
and short one, but it did seem dreadfully long to her passengers.

Mrs. Kinzer was anxious to see that