ll, as testifying their belief in its veracity. The captain
of the _Petrel_ undertook to deliver it to the proper authorities,
and it was eventually accepted in lieu of Hugh's personal testimony.

Having attended to these matters, the crew of the _Arrow_ went
aboard about noon. The day was perfect for the return voyage, a fair
breeze blew against her weather-stained sails, and the ocean was as
blue as sapphire.

The entire party was glad to be on the sloop's clean decks once more;
even Dave seemed happy and relieved when Durgan's Cove and its
outlying shores faded into a velvety green blur along the horizon.
So they left the scene of their adventures, and glided swiftly away
"on the home stretch," as Chester called it, under cloudless skies.

CHAPTER XI

ABOARD THE "_ARROW_"

It was not until the second day of the voyage back toward Santario
that Hugh felt quite himself again. The nervous strain of his
experiences as a captive would have been enough to exhaust him,
and in addition he had suffered real buffeting and hardship at
the hands of his captors.

Dave stretched a hammock for him on deck at the captain's orders, and
there Hugh spent nearly the entire first day of the homeward trip.

The other boys and Norton diverted his few waking hours with stories
and riddles and simple games, and Captain Vinton, himself, contributed
more than one tale from his store of recollections.

"Tell you what, boys," the old captain said as he concluded one of
his yarns, "we fellers these days meet with a few excitin'
experiences now and then, but to get some idea of what lively times
on the water may be, go back to John Paul Jones and his day, or even
to the sea fights of '62."

"Have you read much of the history of those days, captain?" inquired
Roy Norton interestedly, while the boys leaned forward to hear the
reply.

"Son," said Captain Vinton in answer, turning to Alec Sands, his
blue eyes alight with a keen expression, "Son, go to my cabin
and bring me an old, worn book from the shelf there: 'Famous American
Naval Commanders,' it is called."

Until Alec's return, the captain looked out over the water with
far-seeing eyes, and the others, watching him, wondered what stirring
scenes his imagination was picturing to him just then.

He glanced up as Alec handed him the volume of naval history and
grasped it with the firm gentleness of a true book lover. He turned
it over thoughtfully, straightened its saggi