ink I won't bother her now. She must feel pretty bad after
the ducking she got."

Just at this moment the barge from Blank Island dashed up to the steps.
Mrs. Montague was a demonstrative woman, and she had not even yet ceased
to scream.

"O, where is she? where is she, Edward?" cried the poor mother, as she
rose in the stern of the boat.

"Here I am, mother," exclaimed Grace, hastening to the rail on the
quarter-deck. "I am not drowned or hurt."

Mrs. Montague was assisted up the steps, and in another moment she was
sobbing over her child in her arms. While this scene was transpiring on
the quarter-deck, the rest of the party went to Little Bobtail, and took
him by the hand, as they expressed their admiration of his heroic
conduct.

"That wan't anything," replied Bobtail. "I have dived off that rock
twenty times before."

"But Grace would have drowned if you hadn't done it."

"Well, I don't know. I suppose, if I hadn't gone for her, some of the
rest of you would."

"I don't know about that," said one of them, shaking his head. "I might
have gone into the water, but I couldn't have done much."

Mrs. Montague hurried Grace into the cabin as soon as the violence of
her emotions had in a measure subsided.

"But I haven't seen Captain Bobtail yet," said the daughter.

"You shall see him; but you must take off your wet clothes first,"
replied her mother.

"Not yet, mother. I must see him this instant. Tell him to come down
here."

"I'll go for him," said Emily Walker, as she rushed up the
companion-way.

Perhaps Miss Walker was more sentimental than Miss Montague; at any
rate, she flew to the spot where Bobtail was seated, threw her arms
around his neck, and actually kissed him before he had a chance to repel
the assault, if he desired to do so.

"What a dear, good fellow you are!" exclaimed she. "But you must come
right down into the cabin this instant. Grace wants to see you."

"I'm all wet, and I guess I won't go down now," replied Bobtail,
blushing like a red cabbage in the dews of the morning.

"But you must come. Grace is dying to see you;" and Miss Walker took him
by the arm, and tugged at it till she dragged him to his feet.

"I don't like to go down into the cabin. I haven't got my coat and shoes
yet."

"Never mind your coat, Mr. Bobtail. Grace won't change her wet clothes
till she sees you."

Of course Miss Walker carried the day, and Little Bobtail was dragged
into the cabin. Grace seiz