aid you picked her up adrift. Is that so?"

"That's so, Captain Chinks. I found her drifting out to sea, over near
Blank Island. Does she belong to you, sir?"

"To me?" exclaimed the visitor, with a slight start, which did not
escape the observation of Little Bobtail. "What makes you think she
belongs to me?"

"I didn't say I thought so. I only asked you if she did. Captain
Flipper, of the Islesboro' packet, said you might know something about
her."

"What made him think I knew anything about her?"

"I don't know that he did think so; only he said you came over from
Islesboro' with him this morning," Bobtail explained.

"What has that to do with it?"

"Nothing, that I know of. Captain Flipper said you knew about all the
boats in these parts."

"O, that's the reason he said I might know about her?" added Captain
Chinks, apparently relieved by the explanation.

"Yes, sir, I suppose so. Now, do you know anything about her?" asked
the young skipper, forcing the question home.

"Possibly I have seen her. I don't know."

"Then she don't belong to you?"

"Why do you keep asking me that question, Bobtail? Do you think I own
her?" demanded the captain, rather sharply.

"I don't think anything at all about it. I don't know. I can't tell by
the looks of a man whether he owns this boat or not. I'm looking for her
owner, and so I asked you the question."

"Well, I don't own her," said Captain Chinks, with more earnestness than
Bobtail thought the occasion required; but he could not help suspecting,
from his manner, that Captain Chinks knew something about the Skylark.

"Do you happen to know who does own her?" continued Bobtail.

"No, I don't know anything at all about her."

The Darwinian had left his dinner when Bobtail did, and had come as far
as the companion-way, where he stood listening to the conversation which
took place while the parties stood on deck. Captain Chinks had
discovered Monkey's presence only a moment before, and it was possible
that his decided answers were called forth by the fact that a third
person was near.

"Won't you take a bite with us?" continued Bobtail, when he happened to
remember that he had not finished his dinner.

"No; I had my dinner just before I came from home; but I will go below
with you," replied Captain Chinks, following Bobtail into the cabin.

The skipper and Monkey resumed their places at the table, and finished
the meal. While he was eating, Bobtail related all