t the gout crool bad. My darter
here's going to take my place, an' I'm going to take it easy in bed for
a bit."

"I'll go an' make it for you," said the mate.

"I mean my bed at home," said the skipper sharply. "I want good nursing
an' attention."

The mate looked puzzled.

"But you don't really mean to say this young lady is coming aboard
instead of you?" he said.

"That's just what I do mean," said the skipper. "She knows as much about
it as I do. She lived aboard with me until she was quite a big girl.
You'll take your orders from her. What are you whistling about? Can't I
do as I like about my own ship?"

"O' course you can," said the mate drily; "an' I s'pose I can whistle if
I like--I never heard no orders against it."

"Gimme a kiss, Meg, an' git aboard," said the skipper, leaning on his
stick and turning his cheek to his daughter, who obediently gave him
a perfunctory kiss on the left eyebrow, and sprang lightly aboard the
barge.

"Cast off," said she, in a business-like manner, as she seized a
boat-hook and pushed off from the jetty. "Ta ta, Dad, and go straight
home, mind; the cab's waiting."

"Ay, ay, my dear," said the proud father, his eye moistening with
paternal pride as his daughter, throwing off her jacket, ran and
assisted the mate with the sail. "Lord, what a fine boy she would have
made!"

He watched the barge until she was well under way, and then, waving his
hand to his daughter, crawled slowly back to the cab; and, being to a
certain extent a believer in homeopathy, treated his complaint with a
glass of rum.

"I'm sorry your father's so bad, miss," said the mate, who was still
somewhat dazed by the recent proceedings, as the girl came up and took
the wheel from him. "He was complaining a goodish bit all the way up."

"A wilful man must have his way," said Miss Cringle, with a shake of
her head. "It's no good me saying anything, because directly my back's
turned he has his own way again."

The mate shook his head despondently.

"You'd better get your bedding up and make your arrangements forward,"
said the new skipper presently. There was a look of indulgent admiration
in the mate's eye, and she thought it necessary to check it.

"All right," said the other, "plenty of time for that; the river's a
little bit thick just now."

"What do you mean?" inquired the girl hastily.

"Some o' these things are not so careful as they might be," said the
mate, noting the ominous sparkle o