e busy,
as the man had said; and even yet she suspected nothing.

Mat Mogmore did not go on shore to see his sick mother. He heard the
order of Captain Fairfield to man the windlass and stand by the head
sails; then he pulled for the Caribbee, to which his boat belonged.
Everything had worked to his entire satisfaction. Levi had been as
credulous as he desired him to be, and The Starry Flag was standing out
of the bay on her way to Portland.

"How is it?" asked Captain Gauley, in a low tone, as Mat came on deck.

"All right; the yacht is under way," replied Mat.

"We must get off at once, then."

"Don't be in a hurry; wait till the Flag has made a couple of miles, so
that Levi won't notice the movements of this vessel. Where is the
girl?"

"In the cabin. It is pitch dark there, and she has not found out where
she is yet," answered Gauley, with a suppressed chuckle, as though the
plan was not only a success, but a capital joke.

The foresail and the mainsail of the Caribbee were hoisted, and her
crew were busy in getting up the anchor. By the time the preparations
were completed, the yacht had disappeared in the darkness and the
distance. The jib was hoisted, and the vessel stood out of the bay in a
direction nearly opposite to that taken by the yacht.

Bessie began to be impatient. The yacht was under way, and still the
steward did not come; still her father, who had nothing to do with
working the vessel, did not make his appearance. Had they forgotten
that she was on board? If they had, it would be the most remarkable
thing that ever occurred. She could not understand it. She knew, as the
vessel was now sailing, that Levi must be at the helm, just at the head
of the stairs, and she decided to go up and speak to him. She could see
the stars through the opening of the companion-way, and she had no
difficulty in finding her way out of the cabin.

"Levi?" said she, as she stepped upon deck.

"He is not here," replied Captain Gauley, who was at the helm.

"Where is he?" asked Bessie; and, without knowing that anything was
wrong, things began to look a little strange to her, or rather to feel
so, for she could not see anything.

"I really don't know where he is, just now," replied the helmsman. "But
he cannot be far off."

"The steward has not lighted the cabin yet," added she.

"The captain told the steward not to do so."

"Did he--why?"

"I think you cannot be accustomed to sailing near the land at nigh