g forward and laid hold of him, while
his man rose with wonderful agility and lent his aid.

"Heave--ahoy!" cried the missionary, grasping a waist-band.

"Yo, heave, ho!" shouted the boatman, seizing a leg. Another moment and
the captain was safe in the bottom of the boat, which by that time was
floating quietly down the Thames!

Great was the regret expressed by the missionary at this unfortunate
event, and loud was the laughter with which it was treated by the
captain himself, on being re-seated in the stern sheets.

"We must go ashore and get a change of dry clothes for you, sir."

"Not a bit of it," cried the captain. "Row back to the ship; I'll mount
that ladder yet. If I didn't I'd keep dreaming of my discomfiture for a
twelve-month to come." They ran alongside the vessel a second time, and
went up the side in safety.

But, arrived on deck, the skipper, who happened to be a hospitable man
and friendly to the missionary, insisted on having Captain Bream down
into his cabin.

"Now you'll put on a suit of my clothes," he said, "till your own are
dry."

The captain would not hear of it.

"Just let me wring my own out," he said, "and I'll be all right."

"Have a glass of wine then, or brandy?"

"Impossible; thank'ee, I'm an abstainer."

"But you need it to prevent catching cold, you know. Take it as
physic."

"Physic!" exclaimed the captain. "I never took physic in my life, and I
won't begin wi' the nasty stuff now. Thank'ee all the same."

"Some coffee, then? I've got it all ready."

"Ay--that's better--if you're sure you've got it handy."

While the captain and the skipper were discussing the coffee, the wet
garments were sent to the galley and partially dried. Meanwhile the
missionary made the most of his opportunity among the men. By the time
he had finished his visit, the captain's nether garments were partially
dried, so they continued their voyage to the emigrant ship. When they
reached her the poor captain's interest in other people's affairs had
begun to fail, for his anxiety about his long-lost sister increased, as
the probability of finding her at last became greater.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

HOW CAPTAIN BREAM FARED IN HIS SEARCH, AND WHAT CAME OF IT.

The finding of an individual in a large emigrant ship may not inaptly be
compared to the finding of a needle in a haystack. Foreseeing the
difficulty, the missionary asked Captain Bream how he proposed to set
about it.