naries. Some of them were of large size--large
enough to accommodate half a dozen of the little songsters--and all were
very handsome and, apparently, expensive. But they were not in the
least likely to be of service, and would therefore only be in the way,
so overboard they went, ruthlessly; the case itself, however, Leslie
kept, as the wood and the screws might possibly be useful. There were
no more packages at hand that could be manipulated without appliances,
so Leslie replaced the hatches, drew the tarpaulin over them and
battened it down, and then made sail for the shore.

As the catamaran ran in and grounded on the beach, Flora came down to
meet him.

"Well, Dick," she said--the name came glibly enough to her lips
now--"what luck have you met with?"

"Not bad," answered Leslie. "I have not been able to do very much, for
the cases are mostly too large to handle without a tackle, and I have
not thus far found anything that will go toward building our little
ship; but I have here a set of china that will gladden your heart and
replenish your pantry; some rugs for the floor of your compartment; and
a sewing-machine that you may possibly find handy later on."

"And what have you brought that will be useful for yourself?" she asked.

"Nothing," answered Leslie. "The only other case that I could get at
contained bird-cages--"

"Bird-cages?" she repeated, with a burst of hearty laughter. "Why, the
brig must be quite a general emporium!"

"Yes," Leslie assented soberly. "I quite expect she will prove so. You
see, a place like Valparaiso imports every imaginable thing from Europe;
and it would not surprise me to find even pianos, watches and jewellery,
as well as clothing, books, and such like among the cargo."

"Pianos?" exclaimed Flora, with delighted surprise. "Oh, Dick, if you
should find a piano, please--_please_ bring it ashore for me. I am
passionately fond of music, and a piano would be such a solace to us
here."

"If there is a piano in the ship you shall have it," answered Leslie.
"Poor little girl! it must be horribly slow for you, cooped up here,
practically alone, as you are. I am but a poor companion, I know, at
the best of times; and henceforth I shall be so busy that you will be
left more alone than ever. Yes; you shall certainly have a piano, if
there is one in the brig."

"Now, Dick, you _know_ I did not mean that--about your being a poor
companion," answered Flora. "On the contra