nd I see you have the two young gentlemen
with you, so we are all accounted for again."

"Good, Suarez, and how about the cargo?"

"Nearly all on shore. We shall be ready for sea again by midnight if
Morgan returns to take charge of the removal on shore."

"Morgan and his men will be here within a few hours. Keep the cargo
moving; I shall not feel at rest until I get well out to sea again."

Suarez turned toward the boat and the boys heard him mutter:

"Petticoats always do knock the pluck out of a man."

As they rowed alongside of the _Mariella_, day had dawned and the boys
could distinguish Miss Juanita, Mason, and Washington leaning over the
rail. Little Mason swung his cap and shouted in his joy.

At this point Washington seized him and dragged him back, at the same
time placing his finger on his own lips to indicate that he should be
quiet.

"O, bother," grunted Mason, "who's afraid now the cap's back?"

Miss Juanita greeted them warmly as they came over the side. She took a
hand of each boy and kissed it with a pretty little courtesy. Washington
was so jubilant that he could not refrain from a few steps of a double
shuffle on the deck.

"Ah guessed Massa Cap'n Dynamite'd bring 'em all back all right, all
right, an' ah ain't such a mucher at guessin' either," he said, with a
wide grin.

The boys, quite abashed by Miss Juanita's demonstrative thanks,
stammered a few words in reply and turned to greet their eager
companion.

"Say, fels, tell me all about it," said the Midget, dragging them off to
the forward part of the deck.

"First got to go to the galley with George Wash Jenks and get some
coffee and bite to eat. Ah bet you suah hungry, Misser Harry an' Misser
Bert."

"We suah are, Washington. What have you got to eat in there?"

"Ah guess ah got some suah 'nough fresh doughnuts."

"Oh, doughnuts for ours," cried the boys in chorus.

"Also for mine, Wash," said Mason solemnly. "I may not be a hero, but
I've got just as good an appetite for fresh doughnuts as if I had
rescued the maiden all forlorn. How about that, Wash?"

"Suah, Misser Mason, you get doughnuts too."

"Very well, then, lead on."

They followed the grinning and happy negro into the galley, while
O'Connor and Miss Juanita joined her mother on the after deck. For half
an hour they were busy tucking away Washington's doughnuts and coffee,
while Mason waited patiently for the story of their adventures. Full
stomachs and a sense