ng, small keen eyes, and a turned up
nose scarcely perceptible beyond his puffed out copper-coloured cheeks.

Pipe in mouth he was taking his usual fisherman's walk, when the captain
stepped on board.

"The craft shall not be kept here longer than can be helped, Tom, and
you must be ready to start at a moment's notice," he observed. "I have
some business to attend to first, however, so it won't be for a day or
two, though that does not matter, as the weather promises to hold fine.
Only keep the fellows sober, for I have as many drunken men on shore as
I can manage, and it won't do to have all the hands in the same state.
The next time it will be your turn to go on shore, and you may then
drink as much liquor as you can hold, and enjoy yourself to your heart's
content."

Gaffin having given these directions, returned on shore again. Several
days passed and Gaffin again went in the evening to the Texford Arms to
meet his hopeful son. The young gentleman was in, the landlady
answered, in the room upstairs.

"Well, what progress have you made?" asked Gaffin, as he entered and
found young Miles lounging lazily alone, a pipe in his mouth and a glass
of brandy and water by his side.

"I thought I knew something about girls," was the answer, "and that I
could come round her much as I have done with others, who wouldn't think
themselves much beneath her, in our town, and I was not going to be
stopped by any nonsense."

"I don't want to hear what you thought, but what you did," said his
father.

"Well, you shall, if that's your wish," answered Miles. "I went to
church on Sunday and had a good look at her, and thought she saw me with
my eyes fixed on her from one end of the service to the other, but she
hurried home among a lot of people, and I hadn't a chance of getting
alongside to put in a word. For three whole days she never showed
outside the gates, and I thought at last of going and calling on the old
ladies with a story I had got up, but when I came to learn what sort of
people they are, I found that would not do. Then I thought of another
plan."

"I tell you I don't want your thought's," growled Gaffin. "What were
your acts?"

"That's what I was coming to," answered Miles. "As ill-luck would have
it I was off watch when she slipped out, and I discovered had gone down
to old Halliburt's. You may be sure I kept a look-out for her on her
return. I saw her coming along, and thought I had got the game in m