d up onto
the wharf a little disappointed at the permission. "Mr. Freeman has
invited you to dinner," added the captain, "but you must be here at the
wharf at two sharp."

"Yes, indeed, sir," Amos answered promptly, looking back almost
reluctantly toward the boat.

"Born for a sailor," the captain said to Mr. Freeman, as Amos walked
with Anne and Rose toward the Freemans' house. He answered Anne's
questions about Aunt Martha, Uncle Enos, Amanda and the Starkweathers,
and listened to her account of the wonderful journey to Boston.

"Wasn't it great to be shut up in that dark room!" he exclaimed, when
Anne told him of Bill Mains' mistake. "Wish I'd been there. But maybe
the 'Sea Gull' will run afoul of a pirate ship before long," he
concluded hopefully.

When Anne introduced him to Mrs. Freeman Amos took off his cap and bowed
very politely, as he had noticed Captain Nash do. Frederick and he
became friends instantly, and Amos was taken out to the workshop to see
the model ship which had the American flag fastened to its mainmast,
and he listened to Frederick's plans for building ships approvingly.

"Maybe I'll sail one of your vessels for you," he said. "I'm going to
learn navigation. I'm not planning to be on shore much after this, I can
tell you."

Frederick listened enviously; he thought Amos was a very fortunate boy
to be going for a year's voyage on the "Sea Gull."

CHAPTER XVI

AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR

"I'll bring you some coral beads, Anne," Amos promised as he said
good-bye, and started back for the wharf. Frederick went with him, and
listened admiringly to Amos's plans of all he meant to see and do.
Frederick began to think that it would be better to go to sea than to
build ships. He watched the "Sea Gull's" sails as they caught the wind,
and his eyes followed the little vessel until it looked not unlike the
white-winged bird whose name it bore.

As he entered the yard Rose came down the path to meet him. She had a
small package in her hand.

"I want you to do something for me, Fred," she said, "and I don't want
any one, especially Anne and Millicent, to know anything about it."

This sounded interesting to Frederick, and he looked up hopefully.
Perhaps there was some message to be carried from Boston to the
American troops in New York, and that he, Frederick Freeman, had been
selected to carry it. Probably it was wrapped up in that package which
Rose held so carefully. Why, it would be a gr