ising rather than a
falling tendency. Immediately after breakfast, therefore, Leslie
emerged from the brig's cabin provided with a basket of provisions
neatly packed by the fair Flora's hand and daintily covered with a
spotlessly white cloth. This he deposited in the stern-sheets of his
boat; and then addressed Sailor, who stood at the gangway watching the
proceedings with eager interest.

"Now, Sailor, come along down, boy; that's a good dog, then. Come down,
you sir, I say!"

Sailor wagged his tail excitedly, and barked in response, making a great
show of being about to jump down into the boat, but baulking at the last
moment and looking round anxiously to see whether his beloved mistress
were coming, then approaching the side again and barking a response to
Leslie's blandishments, but dexterously avoiding the efforts of the
latter to capture and drag him down into the boat; and so on _ad
infinitum_ At length, however, Miss Trevor made her appearance, a
radiant vision in white, and armed against the assaults of the
too-ardent sun with a white lace parasol--one of the many spoils of the
late skipper's speculative investment--and approached the head of the
side-ladder that Leslie had rigged for her accommodation. Then, as she
began to descend, Sailor hesitated no longer but, fearing lest he should
lose his passage, sprang down into the frail craft with an _abandon_
that nearly capsized her, and placed himself in the eyes of the boat,
obediently to a signal from Leslie's hand. Another moment and Flora had
taken her place in the stern, and Leslie was bearing-off from the brig's
side.

With her load of three--for Sailor was nearly as heavy as his mistress--
the boat proved to be somewhat crank, and Leslie had a momentary spasm
of regret that he had not tied up the dog and left him aboard the brig,
instead of bringing him with them; but the water was quite smooth, and
they all sat still. The passage was consequently accomplished without
mishap; and in about an hour from the moment of starting they all three
stood safely on the dazzlingly white beach of coral sand that stretched
for about a mile in either direction from the spot where they had
landed. From here the hull of the brig looked little more than a small
inconspicuous spot against the snow-white cloud of surf that broke
eternally upon the outer edge of the barrier reef; and Leslie made a
mental note to pull off aboard again betimes in the afternoon, for it