d I was twelve years old.
Oh-oh-oh! how sad everything was!

I sat with my hand under my cheek, leaning against the railing and
staring into the sea. All at once a plan occurred to me which I thought
a remarkably good one then. Now I think it was frightfully stupid. I
would ask the mate if he wouldn't take something of mine as payment for
our passage.

I had a little silver ring--one of those with a tiny heart hanging to
it;--I thought of that first. I took it off of my finger and looked at
it. It was really a tiny little bit of a thing--it couldn't be worth so
very much. At home I had a pair of skates, sure enough. I would
willingly sell them. But I couldn't possibly ask the mate to go up into
our attic and get them and sell them for me. What in the world should I
give him? Suddenly a brilliant idea struck me. My new umbrella--he
should have my new umbrella. And I would tell the mate at the same time
that I had made a mistake, that I wasn't twelve years old, only eleven
years and five months. I took the umbrella and went quickly across the
deck to find the mate. To be on the safe side I took the ring off of my
finger and held it in my hand. It might be he would want both ring and
umbrella. But it was impossible to find him. I wandered fore and aft and
peeked into all the hatchways--but I couldn't get a glimpse of that
sharp nose of his anywhere. Finally I discovered him sitting in a little
cabin, writing.

I established myself in the doorway and swung my umbrella. To save my
life I couldn't get out a single word of what I had planned to say.
Think of having to say "I told you a lie!"

"Do you want anything?" asked the mate at last.

"Oh, no!" I said hastily. "Well, yes. How far is it to Sand Island now?"

"An hour's sail, about;"--at the very minute that he was speaking these
words a terrible shriek was heard from aft, a loud shriek from several
people all screaming as hard as they could. I never was so scared in my
whole life. The mate almost pushed me over, he sprang so quickly out of
the door. All the people aft were crowded at one side. In the midst of
the shrieks and cries I heard some one say, "Man overboard!"

O horrors! It must be Karsten! I was sure of it. I hadn't thought of him
or taken any care of him for the last ten minutes. I hardly know how I
got aft, my knees were shaking so. The steamboat stopped and two sailors
were already up on the railing loosing the life-boat.

"Karsten! Karsten! Karsten