boat."

"O, won't that be grand!" exclaimed William; and Fred and Alice both
said it would be "grand"; and then they all put a bold front on, and
asked the old man if he wouldn't take them to see the boat now, they
would like _so_ much to see it.

"Certainly I will," answered the old man. "Come along,"--and he led the
way over the slope down to the little bay where the boat was lying.

"There she is!" exclaimed he, when the boat came in view. "Isn't she a
snug craft? She rides the water just like a duck,"--whereupon the
children all declared that they had never, in all their lives, seen
anything so pretty, and that "a duck could not ride the water half so
well."

It was, indeed, a very beautiful little boat, or rather yacht, with a
cosey little cabin in the centre, and space enough behind and outside of
it for four persons to sit quite comfortably. The yacht had but one
mast, and was painted white, both inside and out, with only the faintest
red streak running all the way around its sides, just a little way above
the water-line.

Captain Hardy (for that was the old man's proper name and title, and
therefore we will give it to him) now drew his little yacht close in to
a little wharf that he had made, and the children stepped into it, and
ran through the cosey cabin, which was but very little higher than their
heads, and had crimson cushions all along its sides to sit down upon.
These crimson cushions were the lids of what the Captain called his
"lockers,"--boxes where he kept his little "traps." In this little cabin
there was the daintiest little stove, on which the Captain said they
might cook something when they went out sailing.

When they had finished looking at the yacht, they jumped ashore again,
and then, after securing the craft of which he was so proud, the Captain
took the children to his house. It was a cunning little house, this
house of the Captain's. It was only one story high, and it was as white
and clean as a new table-cloth, while the window-shutters were as green
as the grass that grew around it. Tall trees surrounded it on every
side, making shade for the Captain when the sun shone, and music for the
Captain when the wind blew. In front there was a quaint porch, all
covered over with honeysuckles, smelling sweet, and near by, in a
cluster of trees, there was a rustic arbor, completely covered up with
vines and flowers. Starting from the front of the house, a path wound
among the trees down to