nie caught the meaning of it quicker than they did.

"Dick," she said at once, "are we to fish to-day?"

"May--be,--but--that--depends--on--Mr. Morris."

Every word was slowly and carefully uttered, a good deal in the manner
of a man counting over a lot of money, and looking out sharp for
counterfeits.

"Look here, Dick," suddenly exclaimed Dab Kinzer, "I give it up: you can
do it. But don't you try to keep it up all day. Kill you, sure as any
thing, if you do."

"Did I say 'em all right, Cap'n Dab?" anxiously inquired Dick, with a
happy look on his merry black face.

"Every word," said Dab; "but it's well for you they were all short. Keep
on practising."

"I'll jes' do dat, shuah!"

Practising? Dick?

Yes, that was it; and he joined heartily in the peal of laughter with
which the success of his first attempt at "w'ite folks' English" was
received by that party.

Dab explained, that, as soon as Dick found he was really to go to the
academy, he determined to teach his tongue new habits; and the whole
company heartily approved, even while they joined Dab in advising him
not to attempt too much at a time.

"You might sprain your tongue over a big word," said Ford.

There was an abundance of talk and fun all around, as "The Swallow"
skimmed onward; and the outlines of the long, low sand-island were
rapidly becoming more distinct.

Nearer they drew, and nearer.

"Is that a light-house, away over there?" asked Annie of Dab.

"Yes, that's a light-house; and there's a wrecking-station, close down
by it."

"A wrecking-station?"

"I say," said Ford, "are there men there all the while? Are there many
wrecks on this coast?"

"Ever so many wrecks," said Dab, "and they keep a sharp lookout. There
used to be more before there were so many light-houses. It was a bad
place to go ashore in, too,--almost as bad as Jersey."

"Why?"

"Well, the coast itself is mean enough, for shoals and surf; and then
there were the wreckers."

"Oh! I understand," said Ford. "Not the Government men."

"No, the old sort. It was a bad enough piece of luck to be driven in on
that bar, or another like it; but the wreckers made it as much worse as
they knew how to."

They were all listening now, even his sisters; and Dabney launched out
into a somewhat highly-colored description of the terrors of the
Long-Island "south shore," in old times and new, and of the character
and deeds of the men who were formerly the first to find out