.

"Quick, Mark! Look! Hatteras is 'most gone," said Ruth, pointing, as
she spoke, to a little twinkle of light so far astern that it seemed to
rest on the very waters. Half an hour later the captain said, "Now
let's go below, where it is warmer; and if you care to hear it, I will
spin you a yarn of Hatteras Light."

"Yes, indeed," said Ruth and Mark together.

"By all means; a story is just the thing," said Mr. and Mrs. Elmer,
also together, at which they all laughed, hooked little fingers, and
wished.

When they had made themselves comfortable in the cabin, Mark being
allowed to occupy the lounge on account of his recent illness, the
captain began as follows:

"Ten years ago this winter I made my first voyage of any length, though
before that I had made some short runs on a little coaster between New
York and down-East ports. Getting tired of this, and wanting to see
something more of the world, I shipped in New York, early in December,
on board the very prettiest craft I ever set eyes on, for a voyage to
the West Indies. She was the hundred-ton schooner-yacht Mirage, and her
owner had determined to try and make her pay him something during the
winter by running her as a fruiter. She carried a crew of five men,
besides the captain, mate, and steward--all young and able seamen. I
was the youngest and least experienced, but was large for my age, and
passed muster with the rest.

"We had a pleasant run down to Havana, passing Moro Castle and dropping
anchor on the seventh day out from New York, but found some trouble
there in getting a cargo for the home voyage. The delay worried our
skipper considerably, for he had calculated on being home with his wife
and baby at Christmas; but we of the crew enjoyed the city, and I for
one got leave to go ashore whenever I could, and made the most of my
opportunity to see the sights.

"We had laid there about ten days, when one morning, as the old man
came up the after companion-way from the cabin, a big gray rat rushed
out on deck ahead of him, scampered to the side, and plumped overboard.
We all saw it in the water, swimming for the quay, which was but a
short distance from us, and, quick as a thought, the skipper had jumped
back into the cabin for his pistol, and before the beast had got more
than half-way he had fired several shots at it. The bullets struck all
around the rat, but didn't hit it, and we saw him disappear through a
crevice between the stones of the quay.