nor Wille
on the great porch. But pray, whence came the spider? Who made her? I
wonder the sages didn't think of that question?"

Faith resumed the reading: "The natives of Guinea believe that the first
man was created by a large black spider which is so common in their
country, and is called in their jargon 'Ananse.'"

"Now, that is too bad!" said Sophia once more interrupting the reading.
"I could believe that the Pixies came that way, but to say that men were
so made! But that is the way with the sages of unbelief. They had rather
think the universe to have been spun out of the spinnerets of a big
black spider, than admit that in the beginning the Holy God made all
things."

Faith made no answer, but stood silently turning over the leaves. The
silence was broken by a sound that startled the Nurses, and struck
terror into their hearts. We must go back to the Brownie's island camp
in order to explain this sudden interruption.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote AW: Appendix, Note A.]

CHAPTER XXV.

BLYTHE'S FLUTE.

Despite their position the wrecked Brownies were in good spirits. The
restoration of Pipe had taken a load off their hearts. The reaction was
so great, after their grief and the certainty of his loss, that low
spirits vanished from the camp. The boatswain's resurrection seemed an
omen of good fortune. The cheer that filled all hearts bubbled over in
song, laughter, merry tale and joke. But as the Brownies feared to
attract the attention of the Doubt's crew who were yet on the island,
they kept the sound of their merrymaking within bounds of their picket
lines.

Blythe added much to the enjoyment of the occasion. By some rare chance,
as he was setting out for the fleet in the morning, he had flung over
his shoulder his flute box, which he often carried in a little case
something after the manner of a field glass. It had clung to him when
the Ken's boat went down, and there was the flute, ready to swell the
joy of the bivouac. Blythe was quite in the spirit to play, and all
hearts were in tune to listen.

Again and again the notes of the sweet instrument murmured among the
overhanging branches. Camp tunes, battle tunes, love tunes, home
tunes--the hearts of the Brownies were stirred by turns with tender,
pathetic, sad or fond emotions as the well known strains fell upon their
ears.

"Come, lads," cried Pipe, "cannot we have a song?"

"Aye, aye, a song, a song!" was called from all sides.

"What