ce. "O Captain Hardy," cried the
little fellow, "do you know what I was thinking of?"

"How should I, before you tell me?" was the Captain's very natural
answer.

"Why, I was thinking how nice it would be to write all this down on
paper. It would read just like a printed book."

The Captain said he "liked the idea," but he doubted if William could
remember it. But William thought he could remember every word of it, and
declared that it was splendid; and Fred and Alice, following after, said
that it was splendid too. But whether the story that the Captain told
was splendid, or the idea of writing it down was splendid, or exactly
what was splendid, was not then and there settled; yet it was fully
settled that William was to write the story down the best he could, and
ask his father to correct the worst mistakes. And now, when this was
done, the happy children said "Good evening" to the Captain, and set out
merrily for home, little Alice holding to her brother's hand, as she
tripped lightly over the green field, turning every dozen steps to throw
back through the tender evening air, from her dainty little fingertips,
a laughing kiss to the ancient mariner, whose face beamed kindly on her
from the arbor door.

CHAPTER IV.

The Old Man, having related to the Little People how
the Young Man went to Sea, now proceeds to tell
what the Young Man did there.

[Illustration]

The two days which the old man and his young friends had passed together
had so completely broken down all restraint between them, that the
children almost felt as if they had known the old man all their lives.
It was therefore quite natural, that, when they went down next day, they
should feel inclined to give him a surprise. So they concerted a plan of
sneaking quietly around the house that they might come upon him
suddenly, for they saw him working in his garden, hoeing up the weeds.

"Now let's astonish him," said William.

"That's a jolly idea," said Fred, while Alice said nothing at all, but
was as pleased as she could be.

The little party crawled noiselessly along the fence, through the open
gate, and sprang upon the Captain with a yell, like a parcel of wild
Indians; and sure enough they did surprise him, for he jumped behind his
hoe, as if preparing to defend himself against an attack of enemies.

"Heyday, my hearties!" exclaimed the Captain, when he saw who was there.
"Ain't you ashamed of yourselves to scare the old man that w