en we all went below to a meal of good Orkney herrings and hot
tea.

The meal was just finished, and the men were lighting their pipes,
when a boat from the shore was brought alongside--a heavy, clumsy
boat with great square oars pulled by two burly crofters.

When I went on deck with the skipper I found that our arrival at
Rackwick had been expected for some time.

"Man, Davie," interrogated one of the crofters in a broad Orkney
dialect, "where has thoo been wandering sae lang? They was
expecting thee mair than a twa week syne. Was thoo thinking o'
starving us all?"

"Starving you, Tam," returned Flett. "Nay, nay, lad, we'll see ye
dinna starve. Come aboard, lad, and let's know what you're needing.
We have everything you can want, from a needle to an anchor. So
just name it and you'll get it."

"We're needing none o' your anchors," said the crofter in a
matter-of-fact tone as he climbed up the schooner's side, "but I
just mind now, Mary Seater lost her last needle a week syne, and we
have but twa needles in all Rackwick, so thoo'd better gie us a
penny's worth."

Captain Flett told me to get the slate and pencil from below, and
as the crofter gave his orders for the articles required I wrote
these down under the initial item, "Needles, 1d."

When all the necessaries were brought together, they formed a
goodly pile of merchandise in the boat. Here were bags of potatoes
and of meal, a few loaves of bread, some tin cans and crockery,
pieces of cloth, and coils of rope and small parcels of groceries.
I went ashore in the boat to help the two men to unload her, and
when this was done there was the work of bringing back to the
Falcon what things were to be exported or given in exchange for
goods received.

When the last load was brought on board some ingenuity was required
to strike a just balance in the accounts, for in this primitive
community actual money, though well appreciated, was of less
consequence than money's worth, and the system of barter which
Captain Flett necessarily adopted was very difficult of adjustment.
However, my schooling was of some service to him in striking a
balance, and at nightfall the business was agreeably settled.

The next day was the Sabbath, and in the morning Captain Flett
appeared on deck dressed in his finest clothes of blue cloth, and
wearing a very respectable soft felt hat over his neatly-brushed
hair. The mate, Jerry, and I were also apparelled in our Sunday
best. Afte