elf, "I'll go after
them";--and they did not come soon, at least the Captain thought they
were a long time in coming, and he started off, if not after them, at
least to look after them. When he had reached the brow of the hill from
which both the Captain's and Mr. Earnest's houses could be seen, the old
man discovered the children coming down one of the winding paths which
led through Mr. Earnest's grounds. It was some moments before they saw
the Captain, and when they did see him there was much wondering what had
happened to bring him up so far on the hill.

"Why, what's the matter with him?" exclaimed William. "Look, he's
flinging up his hat!"--and the little people set off upon a rapid run.

Meanwhile the Captain stood on the brow of the hill, whirling round his
tarpaulin hat with the long blue ribbons flying wildly in the wind. When
the children came nearer, they heard the old man calling loudly to them,
"Come, my hearties, you are slow to-day. Be lively, or we'll lose the
chance."

"What chance?" asked William, when they had come up with him.

"The wind, the wind,--why, don't you see there's a spankin' breeze? I
was afraid we'd lose our sail, so I came to hurry you up."

"Hurrah! hurrah!" shouted both the boys together; and without further
ado the Captain hurried the little people along with him down through
the woods to the water.

The old man had been down there before, and had everything in readiness.
The little yacht was lying close beside the little wharf. "Look sharp
now, and be lively," exclaimed the Captain as he helped them one by one
aboard; and then he got in himself, and shoved the yacht off from the
landing, and with the assistance of a singular-looking boy, whom the
Captain called "Main Brace," he spread the sails, and the lively craft
was soon skimming over the waters, carrying as lively a party as ever
set out on an afternoon frolic. "Jolly" was the only word which seemed
at all to express the children's pleasure, and if the boys said "it's
jolly" once, they must have said it fifty times at least; while little
Alice exhibited her excitement by jumping from one side of the boat to
the other, stopping now and then to lean over the side and watch the
little waves gurgling past them, sometimes dipping her delicate hands
into the water, and screaming with delight when the spray flew over her.

The party were seated (when seated at all) in what is called the "stern
sheets," that is, on the seat in