ang up and again was thrown down as
hard as before.

"Look out," cried Jack, springing to her side; and he got hold of his
valuable relative and held her fast while Mitchell grasped the ladder and
a sailor strove to keep the launch still.

"Now, Aunt Mary," cried the nephew, "hang on to me and hang on to those
ropes and remember I'm right back of you--"

"My Lord alive," cried Aunt Mary, turning her gaze upwards, "am I expected
to go alone all that way to the top?"

"It'll pay you to keep on to the top," screamed Clover; "you'll have,
comparatively speaking, very little fun if you hang on to the ladder all
day--and you'll get so wet too."

"There's more room at the top," cried Mitchell, "there's always room at
the top, Miss Watkins. Put yourself in the place of any young man entering
a profession and struggle bravely upwards, bearing ever in--"

"Oh, I never can," said Aunt Mary, recoiling abruptly; "I never could
climb trees when I was little--I never had no grip in my legs--and I just
know I can't. It's too high. An' it looks slippery. An' I don't want to,
anyhow."

"What rot!" yelled Jack, "the very idea! Why, Aunt Mary, you know you can
skin up there just like a cat if you only make up your mind to it. Here,
Mitchell, give her a boost and I'll plant her feet firmly. Now--have you
got hold of the ropes, Aunt Mary?"

"Oh, mercy--on--me!" wailed Aunt Mary, "the yacht is turnin' a-round an' the
harder I pull the faster it turns."

"Catch her from above, Burr," Clover called excitedly; "hook her with
anything if you can't reach her with your hand."

"Oh, my cap!" shrieked poor Aunt Mary, and the cap went off and she went
on up and was landed safe above.

"How on the chart do you suppose we'll ever unload her?" Jack asked,
wide-eyed, as he swung himself quickly after her.

"What man hath done man can do," quoted Mitchell sententiously, following
his lead.

"But no man ever unloaded Aunt Mary," Clover reminded him, as they brought
up the rear.

Then they were all on deck, a chair was brought for the honored guest, and
Mitchell introduced his sailing-master who had been drawn to gaze upon the
rather novel manner in which she had been brought aboard.

"I want Miss Watkins to have the sail of her life, Renfew," said Mitchell.
"We aren't coming back until night."

"We'll have sail enough sure, sir," said Renfew, touching his cap, and
then he walked away and the work of starting off began. A tug had been
en