eliberations of the Council were disturbed by a
loud and persistent rattle, like the whir of a Maxim gun, which proved,
on investigation, to arise from the American lawn-mower. The vagrant was
propelling it triumphantly across the lawn, and gazing down at it with
the same fond pride with which a nursemaid leans over the perambulator
to observe her lusty and gurgling charge.

The Councillors had departed, Sir Charles was thinking of breakfast, the
Maxim-like lawn-mower still irritated the silent hush of midday, when
from the waters of the inner harbor there came suddenly the sharp report
of a saluting gun and the rush of falling anchor-chains. There was
still a week to pass before the mail-steamer should arrive, and H. M. S.
Partridge had departed for Nassau. Besides these ships, no other vessel
had skirted the buoys of the bay in eight long smiling months. Mr.
Clarges, the secretary, with an effort to appear calm, and the orderly,
suffocated with the news, entered through separate doors at the same
instant.

The secretary filed his report first. "A yacht's just anchored in the
bay, Sir Charles," he said.

The orderly's face fell. He looked aggrieved. "An American yacht," he
corrected.

"And much larger than the Partridge," continued the secretary.

The orderly took a hasty glance back over his shoulder. "She has her
launch lowered already, sir," he said.

Outside the whir of the lawn-mower continued undisturbed. Sir Charles
reached for his marine-glass, and the three men hurried to the veranda.

"It looks like a man-of-war," said Sir Charles. "No," he added,
adjusting the binocular; "she's a yacht. She flies the New York Yacht
Club pennant--now she's showing the owner's absent pennant. He must have
left in the launch. He's coming ashore now."

"He seems in a bit of a hurry," growled Mr. Clarges.

"Those Americans always--" murmured Sir Charles from behind the
binocular. He did not quite know that he enjoyed this sudden onslaught
upon the privacy of his harbor and port.

It was in itself annoying, and he was further annoyed to find that it
could in the least degree disturb his poise.

The launch was growing instantly larger, like an express train
approaching a station at full speed; her flags flew out as flat as
pieces of painted tin; her bits of brass-work flashed like fire. Already
the ends of the wharves were white with groups of natives.

"You might think he was going to ram the town," suggested the s