ud as a lord, Noddy."

"I'm sure, if we had lost Miss Mollie, I should have missed her as much
as anybody, except her father. I shouldn't feel right to be paid for
doing such a thing as knocking a shark in the head. I hated the monster
bad enough to kill him, if he hadn't been going to do any mischief."

"Then you won't take this money, Noddy?" continued the captain.

"I'd rather not, sir. I shouldn't feel right if I did."

"And I shouldn't feel right if you didn't. You don't quite understand
the case, Noddy."

"I think I do, sir."

"No, you don't. Let me tell you about it. You have done something which
fills me with gratitude to you. I want to do something to express that
gratitude. I don't know that I can do it in any other way just now than
by making you a little present. I don't mean to pay you."

"It looks like that."

"No it don't look a bit like it. Do you think I value my daughter's life
at no more than a hundred dollars?"

"I know you do, captain."

"If I expected to pay you for what you have done, I should give you
every dollar I have in the world, and every dollar which my property
would bring if it were sold; and then I should feel that you had not
half got your due."

"I don't care about any money, sir," persisted Noddy.

"Let me make you a present, then. It would make me feel better to do
something for you."

"I'm sure I would do anything to accommodate you."

"Then take the money."

Noddy took it very reluctantly, and felt just as though he was stealing
it. Mr. Watts joined with the captain in arguing the matter, and he
finally felt a little better satisfied about it. When he realized that
he was the honest possessor of so large a sum, he felt like a rich man,
and could not help thinking of the pleasure it would afford him to pour
all these gold coins into Bertha's lap, and tell how he had won them.

Mollie had something to say about the matter, and of course she took her
father's side of the question; and the captain concluded the debate by
assuring Noddy, if his daughter had to die, he would give more than a
hundred dollars to save her from the maw of a shark, that she might die
less horribly by drowning. On the whole, the cabin-boy was pretty well
satisfied that he had won the money honestly, and he carefully bestowed
it with his clothing in his berth.

Early in the morning Mr. Watts went on shore with a boat's crew, to
commence bringing off the water casks. It required the whole f