and presented her to President Washington,
"Ah, Mistress Tilton," said his Excellency, "your husband should indeed
value an affection that not only endangered a life, but even sacrificed
a fine silk petticoat, for his sake."

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The Smoke-House was a small stone structure something like a
sentry-box, only with an iron door and grated windows. In this negroes,
petty criminals, vagrants, and drunkards were confined. It stood at the
junction of the two most important streets of the town.

[2] Newcastle County, Delaware, formerly a portion of Penn's Proprietary
Government in the Americas.

[Begun in No. 19 of HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE, March 9.]

ACROSS THE OCEAN; OR, A BOY'S FIRST VOYAGE.

A True Story.

BY J. O. DAVIDSON.

CHAPTER VI.

AN OCEAN PRAIRIE.

Frank found his new work tolerably easy, though it required constant
attention, for every joint of the machinery had to be watched, and oiled
afresh the moment it began to get dry and hot. There being two other
oilers, he now stood his regular watch of three hours at a time, having
the rest of the day to himself. Most of this leisure time was spent in
talking with Herrick, or studying the ins and outs of the machinery; and
Frank soon learned to "take a card" as well as any man on board. This is
done as follows: a slip of paper is rolled round a brass tube attached
to the valve of the engine cylinder, and a pencil fixed so as to trace
certain curved lines on the paper as it turns, the shape of which shows
the exact working condition of the engine.

On the fourth afternoon of his new duties Austin heard himself hailed
from the upper deck by a familiar voice:

"Hello, Frank, my boy! come up and have a look at Daddy Neptune's
pasture-ground."

Up went Frank with all speed; but his first glance around made him
start. Instead of the deep blue water that had surrounded her a few
hours before, the ship was now in the midst of a smooth green plain,
extending as far as the eye could reach, and covered, to all appearance,
with coarse grass and broad-leaved plants. Nothing was wanting, in fact,
to complete the picture except a few sheep and cattle.

[Illustration: IN THE SARGASSO SEA.]

For a moment our hero really thought he must be dreaming; and then he
suddenly recollected his school-book pictures and stories of the famous
Sargasso Sea, where, for thousands of acres together, the water is quite
hidden by a thick growth of "Gulf weed," and kne