ot go to Boston again and find my father?" Anne
would ask, and Captain Enos would grow serious and shake his head, and say
it would be too great a risk to undertake. So Anne helped Aunt Martha with
the work of the house, played with her doll under the pine trees, and
wandered about the shore with Amanda, but always thinking of her absent
father, and wishing that she might go and find him.

"I am past nine years old. If I was a boy, I could sail a boat to Boston,"
she said to Amanda one day, as they went down to the beach to watch the
fishing-boats come in.

"Yes," agreed Amanda; "I guess that Amos could sail a boat to Boston
before he was nine."

"Then he could sail one there now," exclaimed Anne. "Oh, Amanda, wouldn't
Amos sail us to Boston to find my father? Uncle Enos will not; he says
'Tis not safe. But surely the English would not hurt two little girls and
a boy. Would Amos be afraid?"

"Afraid of what?" Amos had come up beside them, and the sound of his voice
made them jump.

"Afraid to sail a boat to Boston," explained Anne.

"That would be easy enough," declared the boy, "and I would like well to
get the chance to sail father's 'Peggy' to Boston."

"Will you, Amos? And take Amanda and me with you to find my father? I will
take all the blame, indeed I will. And if we find him and bring him back,
they will all think you a brave boy, Amos."

"They will not let us start," said Amos. "We'd have to put off in the
night. But I'll do it. You girls must bring along something to eat, and
we'll start at midnight."

"When?" asked Anne.

"To-night," answered the boy. "Why, 'twill be a greater adventure than any
boy of this settlement ever had. If we make Boston, I may be made prisoner
by the British," and Amos looked as happy over the prospect as Anne did at
the thought of finding her father.

"Mistress Stoddard will not be pleased," cautioned Amanda.

"She did not greatly blame me before," said Anne. "She knows I want much
to see my father, and Uncle Enos does not want to go. If we sail safely
there and home, it will save Uncle Enos trouble. He will not have to go
himself."

"Should we see Rose Freeman?" asked Amanda.

"It may be," said Anne.

"I would like well to go, if we could see her," Amanda said thoughtfully.

Amos was now full of plans for the trip. There would be a favoring tide at
midnight, and he was sure they could sail out of the harbor and be well on
their way by morning; and, giving the gi