the deck of the white schooner.
Was he still dreaming? Would he wake in a moment and find himself back
in the garret at home, with Mr. Scraper shaking him?

"Welcome, young gentleman!" said the Skipper, holding out his hand.
"Welcome! the first visitor to the schooner. That it is a child, brings
luck for the next voyage, so we owe you a thank. We arrived last night
only. And what is my young gentleman's name?"

"My name is John," said the boy, standing with down-cast eyes before
this wonderful person.

"And mine!" said the Skipper,--"two Johns, the black and the red. You
should be called Juan Colorado, for your hair of red gold."

The boy looked up quickly, his cheek flushing; he did not like to be
laughed at; but the Skipper's face was perfectly grave, and only
courtesy and hospitality shone from his dark eyes.

"I wonder what the schooner's name is!" John said, presently, speaking
low, and addressing his remarks apparently to the mast, which he kicked
gently with his foot.

"The schooner is the 'Nautilus,' young gentleman!"

The reply came from the Skipper, not from the mast, yet it was still to
the latter that the boy made his next observation.

"I wonder where she comes from, and where she is going, and what she is
going to do here!" And having delivered himself breathlessly of these
remarks, the boy John wished he could squeeze through a port-hole, or
melt away into foam, or get away somehow, anyhow.

But now he felt himself lifted in strong arms, and set on the rail of
the vessel, with his eyes just opposite those of the Skipper, so that he
could not look up without meeting them; and on so looking up, it became
evident immediately that this was the kindest man in the world, and that
he liked boys, and that, finally, there was nothing to be afraid of. On
which John heaved a mighty sigh of relief, and then smiled, and then
laughed.

"I like to know things!" he said, simply.

"Me, too," replied the Skipper. "I also like to know things. How else
shall we become wise, Juan Colorado? Now listen, and you shall hear.
This schooner is the 'Nautilus,' as I say, and she is a Spanish
schooner. Yes;" (in reply to the question in the boy's eyes,) "I am
partly a Spanish man, but not all. I have other mankind in me, young
gentleman. We come from the Bahamas. Do you know where are they, the
Bahamas?"

John nodded. He liked geography, and stood at the head of his class.
"Part of the West Indies," he said, rapidly. "