ckly
changed so sad a subject by directing his companion's attention to one
of the old houses, and telling the story of it as they walked along.
Luckily they had the Highflyer all to themselves when they reached the
wharf, for the keeper had gone up into the town, and his wife, who had
set up a frugal housekeeping in the captain's cabin, sat in the shade
of the house with her sewing, the Monday's washing having been early
spread to the breeze in a corner of the main deck. She accepted
Captain Parish's explanations of his presence with equanimity, and
seemed surprised and amused at the young landswoman's curiosity and
eagerness, for a ship was as commonplace to herself as any farm-house
ashore.

"Dear me! you wouldn't know it was the same place," said the captain,
in the course of his enumeration of the ropes and yards and other
mysterious furnishings of the old craft. "With a good crew aboard,
this deck is as busy as a town every day. I don't know how I'm going
below until the keeper gets back. I suppose you don't want me to show
you the road to the main-to'gallant cross-trees; once I knew it as
well as anybody, and I could make quicker time now than most of the
youngsters," and the captain gave a knowing glance aloft, while at
this moment somebody crossed the gangway plank. It was a broken-down
old sailor, who was a familiar sight in Dunport.

"Mornin' to you, sir," and the master of the Highflyer, for the time
being, returned the salute with a mixture of dignity and friendliness.

"Goin' to take command?" chuckled the bent old fellow. "I'd like to
ship under ye; 'twouldn't be the first time," and he gave his hat an
unsettling shake with one hand as he looked at Nan for some sign of
recognition, which was quickly given.

"You've shipped under better masters than I. Any man who followed the
sea with Cap'n Jack Prince had more to teach than to learn. And here's
his grand-daughter before you, and does him credit too," said Captain
Walter. "Anna, you won't find many of your grandfather's men about the
old wharves, but here's one of the smartest that ever had hold of a
hawser."

"Goodsoe by name: I thank ye kindly, cap'n, but I ain't much account
nowadays," said the pleased old man, trying to get the captain's
startling announcement well settled in his mind. "Old Cap'n Jack
Prince's grand-darter? Why Miss Nancy's never been brought to change
her mind about nothing, has she?"

"It seems so," answered Nan's escort, la