red and rediscovered lands to the west of
Ireland. They thought of the land as islands and gave them names. The
island of Brazil was one of them. If you were to consult this map I have
here you would find the island of Brazil indicated by a circle which is
nearly as large as Ireland, yet if you were to cruise all over the
waters in the vicinity of this supposed island you would find only the
restless old ocean.

"What's the answer then?" he smiled. "Just this: These ancient sea
rovers didn't have any accurate way of telling where they were at a
given time on the sea, so they had to guess at it. Carried on by winds
and currents, they often traveled much farther than they thought. They
landed on the continent of North America and thought it an island. When
they came back to Europe they tried to locate the land they had
discovered on a map, and missed it by only a thousand miles or so.

"Our ancient friend who wrote of his experiences on the back of this map
had doubtless been carried to some point in Central or South America,
for there was, even in those days, plenty of gold to be found in those
regions."

"So you see," he turned to Vincent with a smile, "you went five hundred
miles out to sea for the purpose of rediscovering America. Not much
chance of success. Anyway that's what I thought, and that is why I
dashed off on a wild race in the _Kittlewake_. And that's why we're
here."

Silence followed the ending of Curlie's narrative. There seemed to be
nothing more to say.

So they sat there staring at the sea for a long time.

The silence was at last broken by the skipper's announcement:

"Smoke on the larboard bow."

It was true. Their relief was at hand.

Almost immediately afterward Curlie received a second reassuring message
from the captain of the liner. A short time after that he had the
pleasure of escorting the dripping daughter of a millionaire up the
gangway.

The next day as they were moving in toward the dock, Vincent Ardmore
approached Curlie.

"My sister," there was a strange smile on his lips, "says you set out on
this trip for the purpose of having me arrested?"

"I did."

"Well--" the other boy choked up and could not continue.

"The law, punishment, prisons and all that, as I understand it," said
Curlie thoughtfully, "have but one purpose: to teach people what other
folks' rights are and to encourage them in respecting them. It's my
business to see that there is fair play in the air."