a seaman
was this? His face and hands were dirty, but he had been shovelling
coal; but such speech Shirley had never heard from mariners' lips. The
rest of the crew seemed very odd, and now he noticed for the first time
that although many of them were in their shirt sleeves, nearly all wore
black trousers. He could not understand it.

"Mr. Litchfield, sir," said a large, heavy man with a nose burned very
red, a travelling cap upon his head, and wearing a stiffly starched
shirt which had once been white, no collar, and a waistcoat cut very
straight in front, now opened, but intended to be buttoned up very
high, "I believe Mr. Litchfield has voiced the sentiments of us all. As
he was speaking, I looked from one brother to another, and I think I am
right."

"You are right!" cried every one of the sturdy fellows who had so
recently stepped from Synod to yacht.

"I knew it!" exultingly exclaimed the speaker. "I felt it in my heart of
hearts! Madam, and Captain, knowing what we do we are not the men to
desert you when it is found necessary to continue the voyage for a
little!"

"And what would happen to us if we did leave the yacht?" said another.
"We might simply have to remain at Kingston until you returned. Oh no,
we wouldn't think of it!"

"Burke," said Shirley, in a low tone, "who are these people?"

"Can't tell you now," said Burke, his eyes glistening, "you might tumble
overboard backwards if I did! Gentlemen," he cried, turning to his crew,
"you're a royal lot! And if any of you ever ask me to stand by you, I'll
do it while there's breath in my body! And now, madam," said he, his
doubt and perplexity gone and his face animated by the necessity of
immediate action, "I can't now say anything about your kindness in
lending us your yacht, but if you and Miss Croup want to go ashore, here
is a boat alongside."

"Go ashore!" screamed Mrs. Cliff. "What are you talking about? If
anybody stays on this yacht, I do! I wouldn't think of such a thing as
going ashore!"

"Nor I!" cried Willy. "What's got into your head, Mr. Burke,--do you
intend to go without eating?"

"Ladies," cried Burke, "you are truly trumps, and that's all I've got to
say! And we'll get out of this harbor just as fast as we can!"

"Look here," cried Shirley, running after Burke to the captain's room;
"I've got to go ashore again and get that cable message! We must have
authority to turn that steamer back if we overhaul her, and I've got to
have s