Amanda reached out her sunburned little hand and clasped Anne's, and they
repeated aloud the prayer, asking for help and protection, which Elder
Haven had taught them; then, curling themselves up in the bottom of the
boat, they went fast asleep.

But the "Peggy" did not sail far. The wind died away, and the boat drifted
with the tide. When the little girls awoke it was bright sunshine, and a
big ship was coming slowly down upon them.

"'Tis a Britisher!" Amanda exclaimed; "like as not she's bound for England
and will carry us straight off," and Amanda began crying bitterly.

Before Anne could answer there came a hail from the ship, and Anne and
Amanda called back, "Sloop 'Peggy'! Sloop 'Peggy'!" as loudly as they
could, as they had heard Province Town captains do in answer to hails from
harbor boats.

It was not long before the big vessel was near enough for the sailors to
distinguish that there were only two little girls on board the drifting
sloop, and a man was ready with a stout boat-hook, which he grappled about
the "Peggy's" mast, and a big man with reddish hair and blue eyes slid
down a rope and swung himself on board the sloop.

"Zounds!" exclaimed the sailor, "if 'Tis not the little Province Town maid
again! And adrift like this. I'll have to take you to England and let
Betsey and Harriet take care of you!"

Before he had finished both Anne and Amanda had begun to cry. They were
sure now that they should never see home again, and William Trull had some
trouble in convincing them that he did not mean to take them to England.

But the captain had small patience with the delay, and called out that
'twas best to sink the sloop rather than lose a fair wind out of harbor.

"I cannot be leaving two helpless maids adrift," William Trull called
back. "They are from the Province Town settlement."

"Take them back to it, if you like, and find your way across the Atlantic
as best you may," retorted the English captain angrily. "We can't stand by
for such folly."

Poor William Trull looked at the little girls in dismay. To be left
stranded on American territory was the last thing he desired.

"Can't you tow our boat down to Province Town?" pleaded Anne. "We won't
hurt you."

"Ha! ha!" laughed the captain, and even William Trull joined in the
laughter of the crew, while Anne and Amanda wondered why the sailors
laughed. "Well," and the captain's voice was more friendly as he leaned
over his ship's railing and