after all, and that when we little expected to do so.
Thank God; oh! thank God!"

"Amen," answered Bob, taking off his tarpaulin reverently for a moment,
while the tears rolled down his weather-beaten cheeks.

We took room, and rounded the cutter to, and as she came up into the
wind, with all her canvas shaking, the natives vigorously plied their
paddles, and with a few lusty strokes shot their light craft alongside.

I went to the gangway, and held out my hand to assist my father in over
our low bulwarks, whilst Bob hove the end of a coil of line into the
canoe, shouting to the blacks, "Now then, darkies, look out, and catch a
turn with this here rope's-end, will ye? for if you goes astarn, you'll
have all your work afore ye to overhaul us and get alongside again."

"Good Heaven! that voice--surely I should know it," murmured my father.
"Thank you, sir. Yours is the first sail I have seen for--Why, how is
this?"

I had been unable to control myself any longer; and, to my father's
infinite surprise, he suddenly found himself in my embrace, and, as
suddenly, recognised the tones of the voice which called him "father."

I thought the dear old man would have fainted, but he rallied himself
with a powerful effort, though it was some little time before he could
speak. At length--

"My son! my noble boy Harry," exclaimed he. "Great God! Merciful
Father! I thank Thee for this great and unexpected mercy. Little did I
think, my dear boy, when I saw your white sails standing in for the
island, what unexpected happiness awaited me. And, if I mistake not,"
added he, "this is my old friend and staunch shipmate, Robert Trunnion.
This is indeed a happy day for me," grasping Bob's hand heartily, "a day
I have despaired of ever seeing again. But, tell me, what has happened,
and how come you to be here in this small cockle-shell of a craft? You
surely cannot have been cast away, and have built her yourselves. If
you have, you are wonderfully good shipwrights. And how came you to
find out that I was here? or is this happy meeting the result of
accident? Everything is so surprising that I feel perfectly
bewildered."

"You shall know all, dear sir, in good time," I answered. "The story is
too long to be told in a breath. Let us get inside, and come to an
anchor; and as soon as we are sufficiently recovered from our present
excitement to tell an intelligible tale, you shall know everything."

"Well, well, so be it,"