piece of white paper,' and just hear how he will
contradict the fact."

Flora did as she was told.

Presently the paper floated just beneath the spot where they were
standing.

"Ah!" cries Flora, with feigned surprise, "we must be near land.
See--there is a piece of white paper."

"Pshaw! _Paper indeed!_ where are your eyes? It is a _feather_--a white
_feather_, belonging to some sea-fowl or other."

"A _goosle_, perhaps, Mr. Lootie. But no, it is what I say, a piece of
paper."

"A _feather_, Madam, a _feather_!"

"Why, there's writing upon it; I see the letters."

"Nonsense, it is a _feather_, speckled with black and grey. I'll swear
it's a _feather_!" and his shrill voice rose almost to a scream.

Lyndsay joined the disputants, hardly able to keep from laughing in the
face of the angry little elf. "Flora, did you see the piece of paper I
flung overboard just now? I thought it would set you wondering?"

"Now, Mr. Lootie, what do you say to your _feather_?"

"That I hate senseless jokes, and the fools who make them," snarled the
ex-distiller, as he retired with a face as black as a thunder-cloud.

About four in the afternoon, the clouds cleared away, the sun came out
brilliantly, and the cry of "Land! land, to the left!" was sung out
lustily from the mast-head.

The little tailor had won the promised reward, and it was not many
minutes before he reached the deck to claim it.

Land was indeed in sight, not exactly that which they looked for. The
ship was considerably out of the usual track, and was rather too near
for safety, to the stern mountain peak of Cape Breton. The Captain
calculated it to be about fourteen miles distant before sunset, and the
dark outline of rock and forest was visible to the naked eye.

It was a warm, delicious summer evening, and the smell of the pine
forests was as rich as gales of Araby to the poor emigrants. The Captain
had treated all hands to a stiff glass of grog; and the Duncans had
tuned their fiddles, and young and old were assembled upon the deck for
a dance.

Flora was too much entranced with the sight of land, to heed the dancers
as they bounded past; shouting and laughing in their mad revel of mirth.

The moon had risen above the frowning Cape, and flooded the land and sea
with light. The jollity of the passengers and crew profaned the calm
grandeur of the night--the august and profound solitude of sea and sky.
Gladly would she have shut out all such sights an