e did not wonder at Burke's opinion.

When the _Summer Shelter_, accompanied by the _Monterey_, had started
northward, Burke stood by Shirley on the bridge. Mr. Burdette had a
complete crew of able seamen under his command; there was a cook in the
kitchen, and stewards in the saloons, and there was a carpenter with
some men at work at a spare spar which was to be rigged as a bowsprit.

"I'm mighty glad to lay her course for home," said Burke, "for I've had
enough of it as things are; but if things were not exactly as they are,
I wouldn't have enough of it."

"What do you mean?" said Shirley.

"I mean this," was the answer. "If this was my yacht, and there was no
women on board, and no ministers, I would have put on a full head of
steam, and I would have gone after those boats, and I would have run
them down, one after another, and drowned every bloody pirate on board
of them. It makes my blood boil to think of those scoundrels getting
away after trying to run us down, and to shoot you!"

"It would have served them right to run them down, you know," said
Shirley, "but you couldn't do it, and there's no use talking about it.
It would have been a cold-blooded piece of business to run down a small
boat with a heavy steamer, and I don't believe you would have been
willing to do it yourself when you got close on to them! But the Captain
says if we get to Kingston in good time, we may be able to get a cable
message to London, and set the authorities at every likely port on the
lookout for the _Vittorio_."

The voyage of the _Summer Shelter_ to Kingston was uneventful, but in
many respects a very pleasant one. There had been a great
disappointment, there had been a great loss, and, to the spirits of some
of the party, there had been a great shock, but every one now seemed
determined to forget everything which had been unfortunate, and to
remember only that they were all alive, all safe, all together, and all
on their way home.

The clergymen, relieved of their nautical duties, shone out brightly as
good-humored and agreeable companions. Their hardships and their dangers
had made them so well acquainted with each other, and with everybody
else on board, and they had found it so easy to become acquainted with
Captain and Mrs. Horn, and they all felt so much relieved from the load
of anxiety which had been lifted from them, that they performed well
their parts in making up one of the jolliest companies which ever sailed
ov