."

"Gossifus!" shouted Cyd, as he rushed out of the cabin, and discovered
the bark. "Wha--wha--what vessel's dat?"

"I don't know," answered Dan; "but we shall soon know all about her."

"What a monster she is!" added Lily.

Dan hailed the bark, and ascertained that she was an English vessel,
bound from Vera Cruz to New York. As this information was satisfactory,
he asked to be taken on board, with his companions. The vessel backed
her main topsail, and Dan ran the Isabel alongside. The captain and crew
were astonished to find a small boat, with two boys and a girl in her,
at this distance from land; but they were kindly taken on board. In as
few words as possible Dan told the substance of his story, and the
captain consented to carry the fugitives to New York.

"I can pay our passage, captain," added he; "and if you will take us you
shall lose nothing by it."

"I should be in duty bound to take you, any how," replied the captain;
"but what shall we do with your boat?"

"Cut her adrift, if you can't do any better. We have done with her now."

"I think we can save her," added the captain.

As the wind was light, the Isabel was lashed to the side, and the bark
squared away upon her course. In a short time every thing on board of
the sail-boat was passed on board, and she was stripped and her masts
taken out. She was then hoisted on deck, and set up between the fore and
main masts. Dan and his companions were rejoiced to preserve her, for
she had been their home for a year, and had borne them safely through
many perils. They regarded her as a dear friend.

Captain Oxnard gave Lily a state-room, and the two boys were berthed in
the steerage. It took all the rest of the day for Dan to relate the
experience of the young fugitives on board the Isabel; and the officers
of the bark were intensely interested in the narrative and in the
runaways. The listeners were all Englishmen, and had no sympathy with
slave-holders.

The passage was rather long, but it was pleasant, and on the twentieth
of June the bark anchored in New York harbor. Her consignees were
informed of the incidents which had placed the three passengers on
board, and they were not disposed to undo what Captain Oxnard had done.
While the vessel lay at anchor, the Isabel was hoisted into the water
again, rigged, and every thing placed on board of her, just as she was
when she left the camp in the swamp.

It so happened that the junior member of the firm