ittleton, inspired him with a dignity he did not always possess.

"Talk like a gentleman, if you can, now there is some prospect of your
becoming one," continued Paul.

"I will try; but I want to talk about the boat now. Isn't she a--a
beauty! I should like to try her with the Snowbird."

"Very likely we may have a chance. She's too good to go a fishing with,"
said Paul, glancing around him at the cushioned seats in the standing
room.

"It won't hurt her any; we can take the cushions out when we fish."

"We must use her for that, I suppose. But Jack Starr lets his boat,
which is not half as good as this, for four dollars a day. Perhaps we
can do a little business of this kind."

"Very likely we can; folks always want to go down in the best boat."

"We can suit them, then. Where are you going now, Paul?"

"I am going to run in, and let mother see her."

"Good! Won't her eyes stick out?"

"She will be surprised," replied Paul, in tones of gentle rebuke.

The Fawn was run carefully upon the beach, and John was despatched for
his mother. While he is absent, we will improve the opportunity to give
our young readers a better idea of the new boat than they have yet
obtained. She was about eighteen feet long, and very broad for her
length. Her bow was very sharp, and her build combined the advantages of
being a safe boat and a fast sailer. She was schooner-rigged, carrying a
jib, foresail, and mainsail; and there was a staysail in the cuddy for
use when the wind was light.

The deck of the Fawn extended over about half her length, and under it
was a cuddy, or small cabin, containing two berths, both of which were
furnished with proper bedding. There were four lockers, or closets,
accessible from the standing room, where the boys could keep their fish
lines, knives, spare ropes, and other articles required on board.

The Fawn was rather large for a boy of Paul's age to handle, but as this
fault would be corrected in a year or two, Captain Littleton thought it
would be well to prepare for the future as well as the present. But the
rigging was so arranged that the new boat was hardly more difficult to
manage than the old one, and she was capable of saving at least one half
the time which the Blowout occupied in going to and returning from the
fishing ground.

While John was absent, Paul again examined every part of the Fawn. He
looked into all the lockers, sounded the copper air-chambers, lay down
upon each of the