le the master of the schooner gave this explanation. "I'm very sorry
at not seeing Captain Brown; however, I suppose he'll come for us next
year, as he said, won't he?"

"Oh yes," answered the other cordially. "I'm sure he will, for it
seemed a great disappointment to him not to be able to do so now. He
told me to be certain to say that, `blow great guns and small arms or
not, he'll be at Inaccessible Island next year!' But, you must be
anxious about your letters. Here they are," and the nice-looking young
fellow, whom Fritz had quite taken a fancy to, handed a little packet to
him, adding, "I am afraid I'll have to hurry you up about your return
messages, as the wind is getting up from the eastwards and I shan't be
able to remain here long."

Fritz at once broke the seal of a thick letter, which Captain Brown had
enclosed in one of his own. This he saw came from Lubeck, although it
had the Capetown post mark on it, and he glanced hurriedly over the
front page and then at the end.

"All right at home, thank God!" he said aloud for Eric's benefit, the
lad staring at his brother with eager eyes. "And now, Captain Fuller,
I'm ready to attend to you. I shall be glad of a barrel of flour if you
can spare it, but our other provisions can hold out. Will you let a man
or two come ashore to help get our freight aboard?"

"How much have you got to ship?" asked the other.

"Thirty sealskins and twenty barrels of oil," replied Fritz at once; he
and Eric had counted over their little store too often for him not to
have their tally at his fingers' ends!

"Come now," said Captain Fuller encouragingly. "That's not bad work for
a couple of novices as their first take here! Next year, you'll be able
to fill up the _Pilot's Bride_, `I reckon,' as the old skipper would
say."

"Not quite that," replied Fritz, while he and Eric joined in the other's
laugh; "still, I've no doubt we'll do better than this, for we'll take
care to be beforehand with some folks!"

The commander of the schooner looking puzzled by the latter part of this
speech, Fritz proceeded to tell the young seaman all about Nat Slater
and the Tristaners, anent which he became very indignant.

"I'll take care to call at the island and spoil the mean fellow's game
for him, so that you shan't be troubled in the same way again!" cried
their new friend, with much heartiness; "but, do, please, let these men
go ashore with you now and fetch your produce at once,