ander. Willy Croup had never seen Captain Horn, but she had
heard so much about him that she considered him in her mind as a being
of the nature of a heathen deity who rained gold upon those of whom he
approved, and utterly annihilated the unfortunates who incurred his
displeasure.

As for Mrs. Cliff, her delight in the thought of meeting Captain Horn,
great as it was, was overshadowed by her almost frantic desire to clasp
once more in her arms her dear friend Edna. The clergymen had heard
everything that the _Summer Shelter_ people could tell them about
Captain Horn and his exploits, and each man of them was anxious to look
into the face and shake the hand of the brave sailor, whom they had
learned to look upon as a hero; and one or two of them thought that it
might be proper, under the circumstances, to resume their clerical
attire before the interview. But this proposition, when mentioned, was
discountenanced. They were here as sailors to work the yacht, and they
ought not to be ashamed to look like sailors. The yacht was now put
about and got under headway, and slowly moved in the direction of the
approaching steamer.

When Captain Horn had finished the fight in which he was engaged with
the _Vittorio_, and had steamed down in the direction of the two other
vessels in the vicinity, it was not long before he discovered that one
of them was an American yacht. Why it and the _Dunkery Beacon_ should be
lying there together he could not even imagine, but he was quite sure
that this must be the vessel owned by Mrs. Cliff, and commanded by his
old shipmate, Burke.

When at last the _Monterey_ and the _Summer Shelter_ were lying side by
side within hailing distance, and Captain Horn had heard the stentorian
voice of Burke roaring through his trumpet, he determined that he and
Edna would go on board the yacht, for there were dead men and wounded
men on his own vessel, and the condition of his deck was not such as he
would wish to be seen by Mrs. Cliff and whatever ladies might be with
her.

When Captain Horn and his wife, with Captain Hagar, rowed by four men,
reached the side of the _Summer Shelter_, they were received with
greater honor and joy than had ever been accorded to an admiral and his
suite. The meeting of the five friends was as full of excited affection
as if they were not now standing in the midst of strange circumstances,
and, perhaps, many dangers of which none of them understood but a part.

Captain Ho