er, and she came running to the accommodation
ladder, where she met me with a string of agitated questions.

"Excuse me, ma'am," said Captain Branscome, as the dinghy fell
alongside and he climbed on deck. "I have no wish to alarm you, and,
indeed, there may be no cause at all for alarm. But Harry has
brought us some serious news. He reports that there is a man--a
stranger--on the Island."

"How could Harry have known?" was Plinny's unexpected response.

"He is confident that he saw a man, somewhat more than an hour since,
standing at the head of the creek."

"Now, that is very curious," said Plinny; "for the gentleman told me
he had borrowed Harry's boat without being observed."

"I--I beg your pardon, ma'am!" Captain Branscome stared about him.
"A gentleman, did you say?"

"Yes, and such distinguished manners! He left a message for you--and,
dear me, you should have heard how he praised my coffee!"

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE MASTER OF THE ISLAND.

But here, as Captain Branscome leaned back and caught feebly at the
main rigging for support, there appeared above the after companion
(like a cognisance above an escutcheon) a bent fore-arm, the hand
grasping a beaver hat. It was presently followed by the head of Miss
Belcher, who nodded cheerfully, blinking a little in the level light
of the sunset.

"Hallo!" said she, addressing Plinny, while she adjusted the hat upon
her brow. "Have you been telling the Captain about our visitor?"

"Miss Plinlimmon, ma'am, has given me a shock, and I won't deny it,"
answered the Captain, recovering himself.

Miss Belcher continued to nod like a china mandarin.

"I don't wonder," she agreed. "For my part, you might have knocked
me down with a feather. The fellow came down the creek, cool as you
please, and pulling a nice easy stroke, in Harry's cockboat.
Where is Harry, by the way?"--her eyes lit and fastened upon me--
"Good Lord! what have you been doing to the child?"

"Nothing, ma'am. He has been exploring, and lost his way; that's
all."

"H'm! he seems to have lost it pretty badly. Well, he deserved it.
But, as I was saying, along comes my gentleman, pulling with just the
easy jerk which is the way to make a boat of that sort travel.
Goodfellow was keeping watch. They say that a sailor will recognize
a boat half a mile further off than he'll recognize the man in it,
but Goodfellow isn't a sailor, so that explanation won't fit.
We'll say that he was prepa