nd then he
should know all. So he did not follow the skipper, but kept his seat,
while a great many shadowy forebodings crept into his heart, and he
began to look back over the trackless waste which they had come, and
wish, almost, that he was back in dear old Hastings--in the old home
where papa and he had spent so many happy hours--and that Culm Rock
was a myth. The sun rose royally up to noon, and odors of dinner began
to ascend from the hatchway. Noll had a dinner of his own somewhere in
a basket, which he brought forth and ate on the bale which served him
for a seat, enjoying the novelty in spite of the anxious speculations
concerning his new home in which he could not help indulging.

After dinner the skipper was in better humor than ever, and took his
turn at the helm. Noll, wandering about the deck, stopped to watch
him, whereupon the master of the "Gull" good-naturedly answered all
his questions, and even allowed him to take the tiller a few minutes,
laughing the while at his white hands that could hardly grasp it.

"Wish ye could see my lads' hands!" he said; "could take both 'o'
yourn in one uv 'em, an' not know they was holding anything. But
you'll have browner paws afore ye leave Culm!"

"Of course!" said Noll, "for I'm going to get Uncle Richard to teach
me to row,--I can swim now,--and I'm going to be around the shore half
the time."

"Likely enough, likely enough!" said the skipper, meditatively; and
when Noll had passed on, he muttered, "It's a pesky shame fur the lad
to be sent off and cooped up on the Rock! Don't know what he's comin'
to, nuther. I'll be blamed ef I ain't sorry for the boy!"

CHAPTER IV.

DISAPPOINTMENTS.

It was late afternoon when land loomed up blue on the horizon. Mr.
Snape had taken the tiller, and Noll stood leaning over the rail by
him, eager and watchful for the first look at Culm. "Mought as well
wait a bit," Jack Snape had drawled out; "we sha'n't get there fur a
long while yet, lad."

But the boy chose to keep his place, and kept his eyes unweariedly on
the distant point for which the "Gull" was making. Yet it was but
tiresome watching, after all, and the brisk breeze seemed to have
failed them somewhat, for the vessel's speed had sensibly diminished.

"He'll be glad 'nough to look t'other way arter he gits there,"
muttered Skipper Ben, between the whiffs at his pipe; "my lads 'ud
think they's killed for sartin to be shut up there a week." H