all he had left to remind him of her dead mother, he never
could bear to be parted from her for long, and he would generally
contrive to put her to school at some place within tolerably easy reach
of the vicinity of his mining operations. In the holidays he would
sometimes take her up to camp, and Gipsy had spent long delightful weeks
in the hills, or the bush, sleeping under canvas, or in a log cabin or a
covered wagon, and living the life of the birds and the rabbits as
regards untrammelled freedom.

She had grown up a thorough little Colonial, self-dependent and
resourceful, able to catch her own horse and saddle it, to ride
barebacked on occasion, and to be prepared for the hundred and one
accidents and emergencies of bush life. She had taken a hand at camp
cookery, helped to head cattle, understood the making of "billy" tea,
and could find her own way where a town-bred girl would have been
hopelessly lost. The roving life had fostered her naturally enterprising
disposition; she loved change and variety and adventure, and in fact was
as thorough-hearted a young gipsy as any black-eyed Romany who sells
brooms in the wake of a caravan. At her various schools she had of
course learnt to submit to some kind of discipline, but her classmates
were Colonials, accustomed to far more freedom, than is accorded to
English girls, and the rules were not nearly so strict as in similar
establishments at home.

After a year spent in South Africa, Mr. Latimer was prepared to return
to America, and, wishing to do some business in London _en route_, had
booked passages for himself and Gipsy on the _Queen of the Waves_, a
steamer bound from Durban to Southampton. Gipsy was an excellent sailor,
and thoroughly enjoyed life at sea. She would cajole the captain to
allow her to walk upon the bridge, or peep inside the wheelhouse; or
persuade the second mate to take her to inspect the engines, or teach
her flag-signalling on the upper deck: and wheedled marvellous and
impossible stories of sharks and storms from the steward. The voyage had
passed quickly, and until the headlands of the north coast of Spain were
sighted had been quite uneventful.

"Only a few days more, and we shall be in port," said Mr. Latimer,
looking through his pocket telescope at the outline of Cape Finisterre.
"I think we may congratulate ourselves on the splendid weather we've had
the whole time."

"We mustn't boast too soon," returned Captain Smith. "There are s