ge. Let's all halloo together," proposed
Lillian.

"Good morning!" shouted five young voices in a mischievous chorus.

The seaman lifted his big head. His smile came slowly, wrinkling his face
into heavy creases. "Good morning, mates," he called heartily. "Coming
ashore?"

"Oh, may we?" cried Madge in return. "We should _dearly_ love to!"

The five girls needed no further invitation. They piled out of the "Water
Witch" before their host could come near enough to assist them.

The seaman did not invite them into the house. The girls took their seats
on the big rock near the water. Madge was farthest away, but promptly the
monkey leaped from its master's shoulder and planted itself in Madge's
hair, pulling the strands violently while he chattered angrily.

"You horrid little thing!" she cried; "you hurt. I wonder if you hate red
hair. Is that the reason you are trying to pull mine out? Please,
somebody, take this playful beast away."

The old sea captain, as the girls guessed him to be, promptly came to
Madge's rescue and removed the angry monkey.

"You must forgive my pet," he remarked kindly. "My little Madge is
jealous. She doesn't like strangers and we don't often have young lady
visitors."

"Madge!" exclaimed the little captain, smiling as she tried to re-arrange
her hair. "What a funny name for a monkey. Why, that is my name!"

After a few advances the monkey became very friendly with the other
girls, but she would have nothing to do with Madge. She would fly into a
perfect tempest of rage whenever Madge approached her or tried to talk to
her. The monkey even deserted her master to perch in Tania's arms. The
animal put its little, scrawny arms about the queer child's neck, and
there was almost the same elfish, wistful look in both pairs of dark
eyes.

"Do you catch many fish in these waters?" inquired Eleanor, whose
housewifely soul was interested in the big basket of lobsters that she
saw crawling about, writhing and twisting as though they were in agony.

"Almost every kind that lives in temperate waters," answered the sailor,
"but there is nothing like the variety one finds in the tropics."

"Were you once a sea captain?" asked Lillian curiously.

The man shook his head. "I'm not a captain in the United States service,"
he returned. "I am called captain in these parts, 'Captain Jules,' but I
have only commanded a freight schooner."

"I know I have no right to be so curious," interposed Madge, "bu