Besides his constant visitors among the young, the aged, and the poor,
the captain had a few occasional visitors at his residence, which, by
the way, was named Harmony Hall.

Among these were Bailie Trench and his wife, who were naturally
attracted to that region by the presence there of a slender, loving,
sprightly boy, whose name was Benjamin Walter Wilkins, and who bore--at
least they thought he bore--a striking resemblance to their loved and
lost son Ben. The family from the cottage on the Border also paid
annual visits to Number 1 of the double house (which was the Doctor's),
and the various members of that family, being very fond of a chat with
the old sailor, often found themselves of an evening in "the old
store-room" (as the boys styled it) of Harmony Hall.

These visits were regularly returned, chiefly in the summer-time, by the
captain and the families of the double house, on which occasions the
cottage on the Border was taxed to such an extent that Philosopher Jack
was obliged to purchase a neighbouring barn, which he had fitted up as a
dormitory that could accommodate almost a battalion of infantry. During
these visits the trouting streams of the neighbourhood were so severely
whipped that the fish knew the difference between a real and an
artificial fly as well as their tormentors, but they were captured for
all that.

Baldwin Burr and Jacob Buckley were also among the occasional visitors
at the Hall; but their visits were few and far between, because of their
having taken up their permanent abode in California. Only when they
came home on business, once in the two years, had they an opportunity of
seeing their old comrade, but they never failed to take advantage of
such opportunities. These men were not prone to speak about themselves,
but from various remarks they made, and from their general appearance,
it was easy to see that they were substantial and influential members of
society in foreign parts.

From Baldwin the captain heard that Bob Corkey had, during his
wanderings, fallen in with Bounce and Badger, and that these three had
formed a partnership, in which they tried their luck at gold-digging,
farming, fur-trading, and many other sources of livelihood, but, up to
the last news of them, without success. There was hope of them yet,
however, so thought Baldwin Burr, because of the latest remarks made by
them in the hearing of credible witnesses. Bob Corkey, having attained
to the lowest