the young man, who had been mate
with her husband, she has made skipper till her son Billy is old enough
to take charge of her. The strangest thing is, that all the old crew
have stuck together, and the smack is now one of the best managed in the
fleet. Joe wouldn't have been made admiral if that wasn't so."

To this, and a great deal more, the captain listened with great joy and
thankfulness, without, however, giving a hint as to his own part in the
matter. Originally he had given the thousand pounds to please Ruth, and
he had been at that time glad to think that the gift was to benefit a
deserving and unfortunate widow. It was not a little satisfactory,
therefore, to hear that his gift had been so well bestowed; that it had
even become the admiral's vessel, and that he was about to have the
opportunity of boarding the new _Evening Star_ and himself inspecting
its crew.

"Tell me a little more about this _Evening Star_," he said to the
captain of the steamer. "I have sometimes heard of her from a lady
friend of mine, who takes a great interest in her owner, but I was so
ill at the time she wrote that I couldn't pay much attention to
anything."

Thus invited the captain proceeded to tell all he knew about David
Bright and his wife, and Billy, and Luke Trevor, Spivin, Gunter, Zulu,
the wreck, the launch of the new smack, etcetera,--much of which was
quite new to Captain Bream, and all of which was of course deeply
interesting to him.

While these two were conversing the fleet gradually thickened around
them, for a light breeze, which seemed to have sprung up for the very
purpose, enabled them to close in. Some of the smacks were close at
hand; others more distant. To those within hail, the captain and mate
of the steamer gave the customary salute and toss of the fist in the air
as they passed.

"There's the admiral," said the captain, "two points off the port bow."

"An' the gospel-ship close alongside," said the mate. "Don't you see
the M.D.S.F. flag? Trust Joe for bein' near to her when he can manage
it. Here they come, fast an' thick. There's the _Fern_, I'd know her a
mile off, an' the _Martin_, an' _Rover_, _Coquette_, _Truant_! What
cheer, boys!"

"Is that the _Cherub_ or the _Andax_ abeam of us?" asked the captain.

"It's neither. It's the _Guide_, or the _Boy Jim_, or the _Retriever_--
not quite sure which."

"Now, Captain Bream, shall we put you on board the mission-ship at once,
or wil