penalty
of his transgression. If he claimed the boat, he was reasonably sure
that both would be confiscated, and he would make nothing by doing so,
pecuniarily, and was liable to punishment besides. Bobtail thought it
would be a fine thing to own the Skylark, or even to have the use of her
for a season or two; and hoped the legal owner of her would have a
proper regard for his reputation, and not risk it by putting forward his
claim to her.

Certainly for the present Bobtail was in charge of her, and there was no
one to dictate what he should or should not do with her. He was willing
that everybody should see the boat; and, to enable any one who might
possibly throw light upon her ownership to do so, he thought it best to
sail her about the harbor. The tide was up now, and, with the
assistance of Monkey, he hoisted the mainsail and got up the anchor.

"Now, stand by the jib-halyards, Monkey," shouted the skipper, as he
took the helm.

"All clear, Bob," replied the hand before the mast.

"Hoist the jib."

Monkey knew all about a boat, and did his work well. The Skylark went
off with the fresh breeze on her quarter, and Bobtail felt like a lord
at the helm.

"Don't she spin!" said Monkey, as he seated himself in the
standing-room, and fixed his gaze on the swelling sails.

"She goes it like a locomotive," replied the skipper. "Now haul in on
the main sheet, and we will run up the harbor."

The Skylark, close-hauled, ran up to the head of the little bay, and
coming about, stood over close to the wharf, at the head of which the
fish market and several stores were located.

"Hollo, Bobtail!" shouted the skipper of the Islesboro' packet, which
had come in that morning, and lay alongside the wharf. "What boat's
that?"

"The Skylark," replied the skipper.

"Where did she come from?"

"I don't know. I picked her up yesterday, and want to find the owner,"
replied Bobtail, who, while he was looking for an owner, did not really
wish to find one, though he was prepared to do all that was fair and
right in the premises.

"Where did you pick her up?" asked the skipper of the packet.

As the Skylark was now almost out of hailing distance, Bobtail came
about, and ran up alongside the packet, skilfully spilling the sail at
the right moment, so that she hardly bumped against the other vessel,
though Monkey stood ready with the fenders.

"I picked her up near Blank Island," replied Bobtail.

"I seen a boat like her j