berths, and hoisted the mainsail, just to see how
easily it could be done. The examination was satisfactory in every
respect.

"Mother, mother!" shouted John, as he rushed breathless into the house,
where Mrs. Duncan was getting tea; "come down to the beach just as quick
as ever you can."

"What is the matter, John? What has happened?" asked Mrs. Duncan,
alarmed by his earnest manner.

"Come down quick, mother; don't stop a minute!"

"What has happened?"

"Nothing, mother; only come."

"Is anything the matter with Paul?" she inquired, as she hastily grasped
her sun-bonnet, and followed John out of the house.

The enthusiastic youth did not wait for the more tardy steps of age, but
tumbled recklessly down the steep path, and leaped into the boat.

"Where is mother?" demanded Paul.

"She is coming. I wish we had a cannon; we would fire a salute."

"No use of burning powder for nothing. There she comes."

But it was some time before Mrs. Duncan could reach the beach, and John
occupied the interim in various antics, such as running up the shrouds
of the Fawn, hoisting and lowering the jib, lying down on the bobstay,
and finally in tumbling overboard while attempting to perch himself on
the end of the bowsprit. This accident did not in the least disturb his
equanimity, and he had just shaken himself, like a Newfoundland dog,
when his mother reached the beach.

"Whose boat is that, Paul?" asked Mrs. Duncan, who, during the last
moments of her walk, had been gazing with admiration upon the trim
craft.

"Mine, mother," replied Paul, with assumed indifference.

"Mine, too," added John.

"We own her together," said Paul.

"Own her together? What do you mean by that? Haven't you learned better
than to make sport of your mother, boys?"

"It is ours, certain true, mother!" cried John.

"You don't mean so?"

"It is a fact, mother," replied Paul.

"Why, where, what in the world----"

"That's it, mother; I knew you'd come to it," interposed John. "To make
a long story short, Captain Littleton made us a present of her."

"Dear me!"

"Isn't she a beauty?"

"I should think she was."

"Come, mother, we are going to take you out to sail in her. You shall
try her right off," said John. "Jump aboard."

"But I can't jump aboard. The water is knee-deep around her. Besides,
supper is almost ready."

"Never mind the supper. Jump in."

"I can't jump in. Where _have_ you been, John? You are as wet as a
drowned