ertheless the parting from her friends was very hard for Emily, and
the mother and child, and Bessie too, shed a good many tears, though
the fact that she was to see Bob in a little while in St. Johns
comforted Emily somewhat.

When the mail boat was finally gone, Richard Gray, with his wife and
Bessie, turned homeward in their dory, which had been brought down in
tow of the _Maid of the North_, and the schooner spread her sails to
the breeze and passed to the southward.

With some delays caused by bad weather, three weeks elapsed before the
_Maid of the North_ one day, late in July, sailed through the narrows
past the towering cliffs of Signal Hill, and anchored in the
land-locked harbour of St. Johns.

In the interim the mail boat had made another voyage to the north, and
brought back with her Captain Hanks and his crew, who had worked their
way to Indian Harbour in their open boat to await the steamer there.
Of course Skipper Sam had heard that Bob was coming with the _Maid of
the North_, and when the schooner finally reached her anchorage he was
on the lookout for her, and at once came aboard with much blustering,
to demand her immediate delivery. He believed he had some
unsophisticated livyeres to deal with, whom he could easily browbeat
out of their rights. What was his surprise, then, when Douglas stepped
forward, and said very authoritatively:

"Bide a bit, now, skipper. When 'tis decided how much salvage you pays
th' lad, an' after you pays un, you'll be havin' th' schooner an' her
cargo, an' not till then."

Bob's first thought upon going ashore was of Emily, and he went
immediately to the hospital to see her. The operation had been
performed nearly two weeks previously and she was recovering rapidly.
When he was admitted to the ward, and she glimpsed him as he entered
the door, her delight was almost beyond bounds.

"Oh! Oh!" she exclaimed, when he kissed her. "Tis fine t' see un,
Bob--'tis _so_ fine. An' now I'll be gettin' well wonderful quick."

And she did. She was discharged from the hospital quite cured a month
later. At first she was a little weak, but youth and a naturally
strong constitution were in her favour, and she regained her strength
with remarkable rapidity.

Finally a settlement was arranged with Captain Hanks. The furs on
board the _Maid of the North_ were appraised at market value, and when
Bob received his salvage he found himself possessed of fifteen
thousand dollars.

He rei