fortnight to spend in New Orleans, allowing two weeks each way for the
journey."

I wrung his hand and begged him to accompany me, offering to defray
all the expenses. I wasn't anything if I wasn't princely in those days.
After considerable urging, he consented to go on terms so liberal. The
whole thing was arranged; there was nothing to do now but to advise
Captain Nutter of my plan, which I did the next day.

The possibility that he might oppose the tour never entered my head. I
was therefore totally unprepared for the vigorous negative which met
my proposal. I was deeply mortified, moreover, for there was Pepper
Whitcomb on the wharf, at the foot of the street, waiting for me to come
and let him know what day we were to start.

"Go to New Orleans? Go to Jericho!" exclaimed Captain Nutter. "You'd
look pretty, you two, philandering off, like the babes in the wood,
twenty-five hundred miles, 'with all the world before you where to
choose!'"

And the Captain's features, which had worn an indignant air as he began
the sentence, relaxed into a broad smile. Whether it was at the felicity
of his own quotation, or at the mental picture he drew of Pepper and
myself on our travels.

I couldn't tell, and I didn't care. I was heart-broken. How could I face
my chum after all the dazzling inducements I had held out to him?

My grandfather, seeing that I took the matter seriously, pointed out
the difficulties of such a journey and the great expense involved. He
entered into the details of my father's money troubles, and succeeded
in making it plain to me that my wishes, under the circumstances, were
somewhat unreasonable. It was in no cheerful mood that I joined Pepper
at the end of the wharf.

I found that young gentleman leaning against the bulkhead gazing
intently towards the islands in the harbor. He had formed a telescope of
his hands, and was so occupied with his observations as to be oblivious
of my approach.

"Hullo!" cried Pepper, dropping his hands. "Look there! Isn't that a
bark coming up the Narrows?"

"Where?"

"Just at the left of Fishcrate Island. Don't you see the foremast
peeping above the old derrick?"

Sure enough it was a vessel of considerable size, slowly beating up to
town. In a few moments more the other two masts were visible above the
green hillocks.

"Fore-topmasts blown away," said Pepper. "Putting in for repairs, I
guess."

As the bark lazily crept from behind the last of the islands,