t out
in the bay, and wish you good luck in the distance. I hope, mister,
that you and your brother will be successful in your venture--that I do
heartily."

"Thank you," said Fritz, shaking the hand of the good-natured woman
cordially. "I can't express how grateful we both are to you and your
husband for all your kindness to us, strangers in a foreign land!"

"What, do you leave me out?" put in Miss Celia saucily.

"I should think not," returned Fritz gallantly. "I included you, of
course, when thanking your mother. I'm sure words would fail to give
you any idea of my feelings on the subject; but I dare say Eric spoke on
my behalf this morning."

"Indeed, he had too much to say for himself," retorted the girl; "and,
instead of his behaving like a quiet German lad, as I thought him, he
was more of a saucy American sailor boy! Not that I minded that much,"
she added demurely. "It made him more sparkish-like and all the
pleasanter."

"Really?" said Fritz, smiling. "I think I shall have to talk to Master
Eric when I get on board the ship."

"No, nary you mind that," pleaded Miss Celia most magnanimously. "I
forgive him this time; but you can tell him, though, I'll pay him out
when he comes back to our shanty, that I will!"

"All right, I will give him your message," replied Fritz, as he shook
hands with the fair little Rhode Islander, whose eyes were full of tears
as she said good-bye, in spite of her sprightly manner and off-hand way.
"And now, ladies," he added, addressing them both collectively, "I must
say farewell, hoping to have the pleasure of seeing you again on our
return from Inaccessible Island, somewhere about two years hence."

"I'm sure I hope so, too," said the lady of the house kindly, Celia
joining cordially in the wish; and Fritz then left the shanty, directing
his steps down to the quay, where he expected to find the _Pilot's
Bride_ still moored.

She was not here, however; but, after a moment, he could discern the
vessel lying out in the river some little distance from the shore.
There, anchored almost in mid-stream and with a blue peter flying at the
fore as well as the American stars and stripes trailing over her stern,
she looked even more picturesque than when Fritz had seen her lying
along the wharf on his first view of her.

It was much earlier in the month than Captain Brown had stated was his
usual time for starting on his annual voyage to the South Atlantic; but
the skipper