el and almost dropped into the pilot-boat, which was rising and
falling on the waves by the side of the ship. Then the officers
scrambled down the side and jumped into the boat. The line was cast off,
the negro oarsmen began to pull away, and the poor red-coat took his
doleful journey back to Nassau. He must have felt pretty badly about it.
I have no doubt that when he hid himself down there in that dark hold,
just before the vessel started, he thought he had made a pretty sure
thing of it, and that it would not be long before he would be a free
man, and could go where he pleased and do what he pleased in the wide
United States. But the case was very different now. I suppose it was
wrong, of course, for him to desert, and probably he was a mean sort of
a fellow to do it; but we were all very sorry to see him taken away.
Corny thought that he was very likely a good man, who had been imposed
upon, and that, therefore, it was right to run away. It was quite
natural for a girl to think that.

The moment the pilot-boat left us, the "Tigris" started off in good
earnest, and went steaming along on her course. And it was not long
before we started off, also in good earnest, for our berths. We were a
tired set.

The trip back was not so pleasant as our other little voyage, when we
were coming to the Bahamas. The next day was cloudy, and the sea was
rough and choppy. The air was mild enough for us to be on deck, but
there was a high wind which made it uncomfortable. Rectus thought he
could keep on his wide straw hat, but he soon found out his mistake, and
had to get out his Scotch cap, which made him look like a very different
fellow.

There were not very many passengers on board, as it was scarcely time
for the majority of people to leave Nassau. They generally stay until
April, I think. Besides our party of five, there were several gentlemen
and ladies from the hotel; and as we knew them all tolerably well, we
had a much more sociable time than when we came over. Still, for my
part, I should have preferred fair weather, bright skies, and plenty of
nautiluses and flying-fish.

The "yellow-legged" party remained at Nassau. I was a little sorry for
this, too, as I liked the men pretty well, now that I knew them better.
They certainly were good walkers.

Toward noon the wind began to blow harder, and the waves ran very high.
The "Tigris" rolled from side to side as if she would go over, and some
of the ladies were a good deal