'll take you home,
little maid, safe and sound."

"You are not from Province Town?" Anne ventured to ask, looking up into
the kind blue eyes.

"We are good English sailors, my girl," the other man answered her
question, "and we borrowed this boat from a settler up shore to get fish
for His Majesty's ship 'Somerset'; but we'll take you safe home, never
fear."

The blue-eyed man lifted Anne into the boat, and the two men were soon
pulling strongly at the oars.

"'Tis a stiff pull to Province Town, but the tide's with us, William,"
said the last speaker.

Anne sat very quiet. She was wondering if Aunt Martha had missed her, and
if Uncle Enos would blame her for having wandered to the outer beach. She
looked up to see the sailor whom his companion called "William" smiling at
her.

"Do not be afraid," he said kindly; "the folks at home will be glad to see
you, and you'll not be scolded."

Anne tried to smile back. She wanted to ask him if he had any little girls
of his own; but she remembered that he was an Englishman, and decided that
it was best not to say anything.

"Can you walk across the pasture if we set you ashore near here?" asked
the sailor, when they had reached the smooth beach near where Anne had
been seized by the Indians. "You'll not be troubled again, and we cannot
well round the point to-night."

"I can get home from here. I see the pine woods," Anne agreed, and the men
ran the boat well up on the beach, and William lifted her out.

"'Tis hard for those tender feet," he said, "but be quick as you can. My
name is William Trull, if your folks ask who 'twas that fetched you home,
and my mate's name here is Richard Jones."

"Thank you; my name is Anne Nelson," Anne replied.

She turned back and waved her hand to them when she had reached the land
above the shore, and saw them push off their boat and row away. It was
very hard now to walk over the rough ground, and Anne felt very tired and
unhappy. She kept steadily on, and was soon in sight of home. Mistress
Stoddard and Captain Enos were both standing in the doorway looking
anxiously toward her.

"Well, well, Anne, and do you think you should stay away like this? And
what has become of your sunbonnet?" questioned Mrs. Stoddard.

"Indians!" wailed Anne. "Indian women, Aunt Martha! They carried me off,"
and, with Mrs. Stoddard's arm about her, and Captain Enos listening in
angry amazement, Anne told the story of her adventure.

"'twas an evil