this
offer meant to him and to the girl who was so dear to him; and, in
accepting it, he blessed the kindly heart by which it had been prompted.

The Major sent a despatch to the address in Cairo left by Billy
Brackett, directing that young man to dispose of the raft as he thought
best, to take care of Winn, come home as soon as they could, and
telling of his plans for Cap'n Cod and Sabella. He also telegraphed to
Mrs. Caspar that he should be at home the next day but one, bringing
strangers with him.

She, of course, thought he meant the "raftmates," as she had called
Winn and Billy Brackett from the first, and was amazed to see an old
man and a young girl seated in the carriage with her husband as it
drove up to the house. At first she was greatly disappointed, but
within a few days she became reconciled to the new arrangement, for she
could not help loving the gentle old man who was so fond of her boy,
nor rejoicing in the warm friendship that almost immediately sprang up
between Elta and Sabella.

In the mean time Billy Brackett and Winn reached Cairo early in the
morning, and after breakfast at a hotel, they called on the City
Marshal, who had sent the despatch relating to the raft. To their
surprise, he received them coldly, and informed them that Mr. Caspar
had already been there, had expressed his willingness to pay a hundred
dollars reward for the recovery of his raft, and had just gone down to
take possession of it.

This was an astounding bit of information, and Winn was about to let
his rapidly rising indignation break forth, when Billy Brackett
restrained him, and asked, mildly, if the Marshal had any objections to
their looking at the raft in question simply to gratify their curiosity.

"Oh no. You can look at her as much as you like, and you will find her
just around the point there, in possession of the two young men who
picked her up--that is, if they haven't already turned her over to her
rightful owner."

Again Winn would have exploded, but again his companion restrained him,
at the same time leading him from the office.

They found the raft without much difficulty, and walked on board. Just
then the broken door of the "shanty" opened, and two young fellows,
hardly older than Winn, stepped out. As they did so one of them turned
and said, politely, "Well, good-bye, and a pleasant voyage to you, Mr.
Caspar." Then they both faced the new-comers.

Such an expression of blank amazement as