e.

This island had in later years, however, a more illustrious inhabitant.
A gentleman of considerable means, tired of society, or for some reason
at enmity with it, crossed over from the main shore, erected a small
house, dug a well, set out trees, planted a garden and built a wharf--in
fact, set up thereon a complete habitation. But not long did he endure
his self-imposed solitude. Scarcely were his arrangements completed when
an unfortunate accident caused his death, and the island and its
improvements were left to be the home of the sea-fowls or the temporary
abode of some passing fisherman.

This extended description has been given because it is essential that
the reader should form a definite idea of the island and its relation to
the "Camel Humps;" for on and about them no small portion of our young
hero's summer was destined to be spent.

During the fall and winter months previous to Matt's coming to the farm,
owing to the repeated storms, there had been landed on the "humps"
immense quantities of seaweed, so highly prized by the farmer as a
fertilizer. Mr. Noman had contented himself, however, with simply
gathering it into a huge pile on the summit of the southern hump, above
high-water mark, intending to remove it to the barnyard in the spring.
Thus it fell to Matt's lot to cart from the heap to the yard as the weed
was needed, and the first week in June found him engaged in this work.

It was a cloudy and threatening day. The wind was from the southeast,
and blew with a freshness that promised a severe storm before night.

Perhaps it was on this account that Mr. Noman had directed the boy to
engage in this particular work. He was himself obliged to be away on
business, and this was a job at which Matt could work alone, and the
weather was hardly propitious for any other undertaking. So, immediately
after breakfast, Matt yoked the oxen to the cart and started for his
first load.

"There ain't over four loads more down there, an' if ye work spry ye can
git it all up by night!" Mr. Noman shouted after him, as he drove off.

The distance from the barn to the "humps" was such that, with the
roughness of the way, one load for each half-day had usually been
regarded as a sufficient task for the slow-walking oxen.

But Matt knew he had an early start, and he determined to do his best to
bring all the weed home that day. He therefore quickened the pace of the
animals, and before nine o'clock had made his firs