idated
old men with shaky legs, and formed all that was to be seen of the town.

"Yes, miss," answered the colored pilot, who seemed to consider her
question addressed to him. "Dis yere's St. Mark's, or what de gales has
lef' of hit. 'Pears like dey's been mighty hard on de ole town, sence
trade fell off, an' mos' of de folkses moved away. Uster be wharves all
along yere, an' cotton-presses, an' big war'houses, an' plenty ships in
de ribber; but now dey's all gone. Dem times we uster hab fo' trains of
kyars a day; but now dere's only one train comes tree times in de week,
an' hit's only got one kyar. Ole St. Mark's a-seein' bad times now, for
sho."

As soon as he could get ashore, Mr. Elmer, accompanied by Mark and the
captain, went up into the village to find out what he could regarding
their destination and future movements. In about an hour he returned,
bringing a package of letters from the post-office, and the information
that Uncle Christopher Bangs's place was at Wakulla, some six miles
farther up the river. As the river above St. Mark's is quite crooked,
and bordered on both sides by dense forests, and as no steam-tug could
be had, the captain did not care to attempt to carry the schooner any
farther up. Mr. Elmer had therefore chartered a large, flat-bottomed
lighter, or scow, to carry to Wakulla the cargo of household goods,
tools, building material, etc., that they had brought with them.

As "Captain Li" was anxious to proceed on his voyage to Pensacola as
quickly as possible, the lighter was at once brought alongside the
schooner, and the work of discharging the Elmers' goods into her was
begun.

"By-the-way, Mark," said Mr. Elmer, as the schooner's hatches were
removed, "I am just reminded that this is Christmas-day, and that there
is a present down in the hold for you from your Uncle Christmas. It
will be one of the first things taken out, so see if you can recognize
it."

He had hardly spoken before the sailors, who had gone down into the
hold, passed carefully up to those on deck a beautiful birch-bark
canoe, with the name Ruth painted on its bows.

"That's it, father! that's it! I'm sure it is. Oh! isn't she a beauty?"
shouted Mark, wild with delight. "Oh! father, how did he know just
exactly what I wanted most?" and the excited boy rushed down into the
cabin to beg his mother and Ruth to come on deck and see his Christmas
present.

The canoe was followed by two paddles painted a bright vermili