ntly downwards through a series of valleys, clothed with vegetation
and smiling in flowers. We crossed now and again some little stream
rippling along over its pebbly bed, wherein were crawfish and tiny
things like whitebait playing amongst the water-cresses that grew over
the banks; until, at last, we reached a wide horse-shoe bay facing the
wide blue sea, that stretched out to the distant horizon, laving its
silver sand with happy little waves that seemed to chuckle with a murmur
of pleasure as they washed the shore in rhythmical cadence.

There was but a single vessel here, and she was riding at anchor out in
the offing some two miles from land, looking quite lonesome by herself
in the distance.

She was a barque of some four or five hundred tons, with a broad, bluff-
bowed hull that rose well out of the water on account of her not having
completed loading her cargo. There was a long row of white ports along
her side; and, as she rolled with the motion of the ground-swell, now
setting inshore with the wind, she showed her bright copper sheathing
almost to her keel.

"Is that the ship, dad?" I asked my father, gazing at her with longing
eyes and wondering how we were to reach her.

"Yes, Tom, that's the vessel I told you of, and we must now see about
getting aboard if we can," said he, preparing to dismount from his
horse, whose bridle Jake had already taken hold of.

"And what's her name, dad?" I then inquired, jumping down from Prince's
back as I spoke and giving the reins also in charge of our darkey groom.

"The _Josephine_ of London," he replied in regular ship-shape fashion;
"Captain Miles, master and part owner."

CHAPTER FOUR.

THE "JOSEPHINE."

"What!" I exclaimed joyfully; "Captain Miles! That jolly old fellow
who came out to Mount Pleasant last year and showed me how to make a
kite?"

"The same," replied dad. "But remember, Tom, he's not much over my age;
and I do not by any means call myself an old man yet! Besides, he and I
are friends of long standing, and you should not speak of him so
disrespectfully."

"Oh, dad, I didn't mean that, and I beg his pardon, I'm sure," I
interposed hastily at this. "What I wished to express was, that I
thought him so nice and pleasant, that I was very glad to have the
chance of seeing him again!"

"My dear boy, I know what you meant," said dad kindly, with his usual
bright smile, the sight of which eased my mind in a minute. "However,
Tom," he