battles,
and had made two voyages to the Spanish main. He married young, and I
thought would have given up the ocean; but, like many others, was
tempted to go forth in search of fortune, intending, I believe, that
your mother should follow when he had founded a home for her in the
Western World."

"I have heard my mother say, sir," said Gilbert, "that my father was but
twenty-five when he sailed for Virginia, leaving me an infant, and my
brother and sister still small children; so that even my brother has no
recollection of his appearance."

The captain had led Gilbert to a knoll, a favourite resort, whence he
could gaze over the Sound far away across its southern entrance. He
pulled out his pipe and tobacco-pouch from his capacious pocket, and
began, as was his wont, to smoke right lustily, giving utterance with
deliberation, at intervals, as becomes a man thus employed, to various
remarks touching the matter in hand. He soon found that Gilbert, young
as he was, possessed a fair amount of nautical knowledge, and was not
ignorant of the higher branch of navigation, which he had studied while
at home, with the assistance of his brother Vaughan.

"You will make a brave seaman, my lad, if Heaven wills that your life is
preserved," observed Captain Layton; "all you want is experience, and on
the ocean alone can you obtain that."

"Had it not been for the unwillingness of my mother to part with me, I
should have gone ere this on a long voyage," answered Gilbert. "It was
not without difficulty that she would consent to my making the short
trips of which I have told you; though now that I have a sacred duty to
perform, she will allow me to go. As we were unable to obtain the exact
position of the region where Batten met our father, we must expect to
encounter no small amount of difficulty and labour before we discover
him."

"We must search for the crew of the vessel in which Batten returned, for
they may be able to give us the information we require," observed the
captain; and he further explained how he proposed setting about making
the search.

While he had been speaking, Gilbert's eye had been turned towards the
south-west. "Look there, sir!" he exclaimed, suddenly; "I have been for
some time watching a ship running in for the Sound, and I lately caught
sight of a smaller one following her."

"I see them, my lad; they are standing boldly on, as if they well knew
the port," said the captain. "I fear lest my