key, you have worked first rate to-day," said Bobtail, when the
party had gone. "Of course I mean to pay you."

"I don't ask any pay for helpin' you, Bob," grinned the Darwinian.

"I want you every day when I have a job, and I shall pay you a dollar a
day," added the skipper; and he handed him the money.

"A dollar a day!" exclaimed Monkey, who had never possessed a dollar in
cash of his own in his life.

"Isn't it enough?"

"By gracious! I should think it was!" exclaimed Monkey, gazing with
wonder at the bill.

"Put it in your pocket then, and call it square for this day's work."

Before the Skylark left the wharf Mr. Philbrook appeared, and engaged
the yacht for the next day for another party. Bobtail went up to the
store at the head of the wharf, and expended a portion of his receipts
for coffee, sugar, and other supplies for the yacht. It seemed to him,
just then, that a great business was opening to him, and he was very
anxious to give satisfaction to those who employed him. The bow-line was
cast off, and the Skylark dropped down to her anchorage. The deck was
washed down, and everything put in the nicest order for the next day.

"Don't you think I ought to sleep on board with you, Bob?" asked the
Darwinian, as they pulled to the landing-steps at the railroad pier.

"What for?" asked Bobtail.

"To help you if anything should happen. You might break adrift, or some
vessel might run into you, and then there would be work to do."

"I should like your company very well; but don't your mother want you in
the house at night?"

"The old woman don't care where I am."

"Don't call your mother the old woman, Monkey. If you do I can't respect
you."

"Well, I won't, then," replied the crew, opening his mouth from ear to
ear in one of his cheerful smiles. "She calls me Monkey, jest as other
folks do. When I give her this dollar she'll be satisfied. Won't she
open her eyes some!"

"You shall take her another to-morrow."

"I'll come right back when I give it to her. I s'pose you'll have some
of that bacon for breakfast in the morning--won't you?"

"Yes, if you like," laughed Bobtail, who now understood that his crew
wanted to sleep on board in order to get a better breakfast than he
would have at home.

They parted at the cottage, and Bobtail went in to see his mother and
take his supper with her. For some reason which the son could not
understand, Mrs. Taylor was unusually sad and moody. Ezekiel was sober,