Reuben briefly answered Miss Furley and Mrs. Hudson; and Mr.
Hudson, feeling that the lad would rather get over the scene as
soon as possible, slipped his arm though his and said:

"Now, Reuben, you must just come up for a minute on the poop. The
other passengers are all waiting to shake you by the hand, and they
would not forgive me if I were to let you run off, as I know you
are wanting to do, without a word."

Accordingly Reuben was taken up to the poop, where the passengers
all shook hands with him, and congratulated him upon his courage.

"Now, I suppose I can go, sir," he said, with a smile to Mr.
Hudson, when this was over.

"Yes, you can go now," Mr. Hudson laughed. "Most young fellows at
your age would be glad of an opportunity for figuring as a hero,
but you talk as if it was one of the most painful businesses
imaginable."

"Anyhow, I am glad it's over, Mr. Hudson, I can assure you; and
now, I think I will turn in again. Considering what a night I had,
I feel wonderfully sleepy."

It was not until the sun was setting that Reuben appeared again on
deck. Shortly after he did so, Captain Wilson strolled up to the
place where he was standing.

"I wish, Reuben," he said, after a few remarks on other subjects,
"that you would tell me a little more about yourself. You
understand that I do not ask from mere inquisitiveness; but after
what has happened, you see, we seem to have got into close
relationship with each other; and if I knew more about you, I could
the easier see in what way I could most really be useful to you,
out there. Are you what you appear to be?"

"I am, indeed," Reuben replied, with a smile. "My history is a very
simple one. My father was a miller with a good business and, up to
the age of ten, it did not appear that I should ever be working as
a craftsman for my living. Unhappily, at that time my father
slipped, one night, into the mill pond and was drowned; and when
his affairs came to be wound up, it was found that he had
speculated disastrously in wheat; and that, after paying all
claims, there was nothing left.

"My mother took a little village shop, and I went to the village
school. At first, I think I did not work very hard; but fortunately
there was a change in masters, and the new one turned out one of
the best friends a boy ever had. He pushed me on greatly and, when
I was apprenticed to a mill wright, he urged me to continue my
education by working of an evening. I stuck to i