hing left but the March
sunshine and the tossing, empty bay.

The crowd stood breathless, waiting for some one to speak. It was
only Ben Barton who was able to find his voice.

"I've heard of such things before," he said. "The wise skippers all
say it is a mirage, but the wiser sailormen say it is a message from
another world. She's gone, our _Huntress_ is, and there's no wind
under heaven will ever blow her home again."

Martin Hallowell had swung on his heel and was walking away down the
street facing the fact, finally, that his venture was at an end. A
tall man with dangling watch seals edged up to Cicely's father.

"I am satisfied at last, Reuben Hallowell, that our ship is lost," he
said. "We did wrong to wait for war to make our fortunes, and it is
high time that we went back to the lesser risks and the smaller gains
of peace. Will you let me join in lading your next vessel? You are the
only man among us who has known when a war ends and peace begins."

"I'm thinking there will be some tall ships sailing out of this port
soon," said Ben Barton, speaking low to Cicily and Alan. "It will be
on a better craft than the _Huntress_ even that your brother will be
officer before long. What seas we'll cruise, he and I, and what
treasures we'll bring back to you, Miss Cicely. I'd go with the son of
Reuben Hallowell to the ends of the earth--if only he never asks me to
put to sea of a Friday!"

CHAPTER VI

JANET'S ADVENTURE

Throughout the telling of the story, Polly and Janet had been very
busy sorting and putting together the little honey boxes that were to
be set in larger frames and hung in the upper story of the beehives.
There was now such a great heap of them ready that the Beeman gathered
them into a basket and, summoning Oliver to help him, carried them
outside. He did not, immediately, go down the slope to the beehives,
but set the basket on the step and sat down on the bench beside it.

"You had something to tell me," he said, "something that disturbed and
excited you. I thought it might be better for you to wait a little. I
should like to hear it now."

"Yes, it is clearer in my head now," Oliver agreed. "It is about my
Cousin Jasper that we are visiting. I want to help him, though"--he
smiled at the recollection, yet made frank confession--"that first day
I was here I was so angry I almost hated him."

"If I thought that were true," responded his friend gravely, "I should
have to ask you ne