expect you to return yet.
Really, Captain Brown," added Fritz, turning to the skipper, who
appeared to be anxiously awaiting the result of the colloquy between the
two brothers, "I'm quite at a loss to express my gratitude to you, both
on my brother's and my own behalf! I hope you will not think me
lukewarm in the matter, from my taking so long to make up my mind?"

"Sartenly not, sirree," said the Yankee skipper with emphasis, as he
gripped Fritz's hand again. "Sartenly not, sirree. Bizness is bizness,
an' pleasure's another kind o' notion altogether! I only gev' the b'y
an invitation, thet's all, I reckon!"

"An invitation which he now accepts with thanks," replied Fritz. "Eh,
Eric?" he added, turning to the lad, who was looking at Captain Brown
with a face as beaming as his own.

"Of course I will," answered Eric, without a moment's hesitation. "I
should be a donkey to refuse such an offer."

"Waall," drawled out the skipper in high good humour, "I'm raal glad to
hear you say thet so. You won't repent j'inin' me, I ken tell you, nor
regret slingin' yer hammock aboard the _Pilot's Bride_!"

He then proceeded to wring Eric's hand as cordially, and forcibly too,
in his big fist as he had done his brother's.

"Now thet's all settled an' fixed up slick," said Captain Brown, when he
had finished hand-shaking, passing on the friendly civility to Mr Nat
Slater. "I guess we'd better hev a liquor-up to seal the barg'in; an'
when thet's done, if you've got nuthin' better to du, I reckon you'd
better come along o' me to my little shanty at the head of the bay--your
brother's ben made welcome thaar already."

"You are very kind," replied Fritz, to whom this courteous speech was
addressed; "but this gentleman here," indicating Nat, "was just going to
show me a boarding-house where I can put up at. He has also promised to
introduce me to some shipping firm where I can get work."

"Out o' collar, then?" asked the skipper, with deep interest.

"Yes," answered Fritz. "I could get no employment in New York, and that
is what made me come up here, so providentially as it has now turned
out."

"Waall, come home along o' me, anyhow, till you find sunthin' to put yer
hand to," said the other kindly. "My folks'll make you downright
welcome, you bet, mister."

"Thank you, I will," replied Fritz, accepting the kind invitation in the
same spirit in which it was offered; and presently the two brothers,
reunited so strange