from the shore; but he caught hardly any fish. He was in no
hurry to go home, for Ezekiel was in his tantrums, and his mother had
gone to Rockport to spend two or three days. The wind, instead of
subsiding as the day advanced, increased in force. The sea was heavy out
in the bay, and it was utterly impossible to beat the old boat up to
windward, for she made more leeway than headway.

"No matter; I'll make a night of it," said he to himself, when he
realized that it was impossible for him to beat back to Camden.

The bay is full of islands, and Little Bobtail concluded to get under
the lee of one of them, and wait for better weather. He took in his jib
and mainsail, and the old boat went along very well, taking in very
little water. The sun went down, and it was dark before he had made a
harbor. He was approaching Blank Island, where he knew a good place to
anchor for the night, when he discovered a large sail-boat, drifting
down the bay. Her sails were all lowered, but had not been secured, and
were flapping about in the wind.

"Boat, ahoy!" shouted Little Bobtail.

No answer came to his repeated hails; and, throwing the old craft up
into the wind, he awaited the approach of the abandoned boat. Placing
himself In the bow, with the painter in his hand, he leaped on board of
the stranger, as she drifted upon his old craft. The abandoned boat was
worthy to be called a yacht. She was about thirty-two feet in length,
with eleven feet beam. Two thirds of her length was decked over, with a
trunk cabin, in which were transoms large enough for four berths, with a
cook-room forward. She was handsomely fitted up, and Little Bobtail
wondered how she happened to be adrift. He hoisted the mainsail, and in
a few moments ran her into a little bay under the lee of Blank Island,
where he anchored her. As she had an anchor it was evident that she had
not broken away from her anchorage. Having secured the old boat at a
safe distance from the yacht, the young boatman had an opportunity to
examine his prize, for such it proved to be.

CHAPTER IV.

THE JANTY YACHT.

It was very dark, and Little Bobtail was unable to obtain a very clear
idea of the craft he had picked up; but he had brought her to a secure
anchorage under the lee of Blank Island, and, quite exhausted with his
energetic efforts, both in boarding the yacht and in mooring the boats,
he was content to rest himself for a while on the cushioned seats of the
standin