ve lost Georgie and Idy both!" and off
the anxious mother hurried along the steep path to the fish flakes, as
if that were where she usually found the runaways. Presently they heard
a child's shrill voice, and a pink pinafore emerged from among the
little roofs. Ida was deposited angrily in the lane, while the mother
went back to hunt for the other one. It was very droll to see and hear
it all from the river, but it was some minutes before loud shrieks
announced the adventurous Georgie's capture.

"Georgie must ha' been hull down on the horizon," remarked Seth blandly,
trying to be very nautical, and everybody laughed; but Betty and Mary
thought the woman very cross, when it was such a pretty place to play
out there among the bayberry, and perhaps there were ripe blackberries.
Harry Foster said that children did mischief in pulling off bits of the
dry fish and spoiling them for market; but there was no end of fish, and
everybody felt a sympathy for "Idy and Georgie both" in their sad
captivity.

Before long the houses were nearer together, and even clustered in
little groups close by the river, and sometimes the Starlight passed
some schooners going up or down, or being laden with bricks or hay or
firewood at small wharves. Then they came in sight of the Riverport
steeples, only a few miles below. The wind was not so gusty now and blew
steadily, but it was very light, and the Starlight moved slowly. Harry
and Seth had already hoisted a topsail, and while Mr. Leicester steered
Harry came and stood by the masts, looking out ahead and talking with
the two girls. But Harry felt responsible for the boat, and could not
give himself up to pleasuring until, as he said, he understood the
tricks and manners of the Starlight a little better. It was toward noon,
now, for they had come slowly the last third of the way; and Mr.
Leicester, after a word with Aunt Barbara, proposed that they should go
ashore for a while, for there was a beautiful piece of pine woods close
at hand, and the flats which he was going to investigate were also
within rowing distance. So down came the sails and alongside came the
tag-boat; and Aunt Barbara was landed first, parasol and all, and the
others followed her. The tide was running out fast, and it was not easy
to find a landing-place along the muddy shores. Betty thought the
Starlight looked much smaller from the shore than she seemed when they
were on board. Harry and Seth made everything trig and c