ial in position; and then, too, remember that the sun does not
shine all the while, but is very fond of hiding behind clouds.

[Begun in No. 19 of HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE, March 9.]

ACROSS THE OCEAN; OR, A BOY'S FIRST VOYAGE.

A True Story.

BY J. O. DAVIDSON.

CHAPTER V.

FRANK AND THE CAPTAIN.

Austin was still the centre of an admiring group, when a deep voice made
itself heard from behind.

"Say, mates, ye'd better let the lad git on some dry duds, 'stead o'
fussin' over him that way; why, he's as wet as the lee scuppers."

Frank recognized old Herrick, the quartermaster, who had roused him from
his nap on the coil of rope the first night of the voyage.

"Come, youngster," pursued the old man, "hurry up and git a dry shirt
on. What d'ye look so queer for?--hain't ye got nary one?"

Frank explained that his bag and bundle had "disappeared somehow,"
before they had been two days at sea.

"Stolen, I reckon," growled a sailor; "but 'twarn't nobody on the
fo'c'stle as done it, anyhow. It's been some o' them blessed
firemen--thievin' wharf-rats every one!"

"Ay, _they're_ the boys for hookin' things," added another. "Last v'y'ge
I made, there was a fireman we called Sandy, as I'd seen hangin' around
my sea-chest jist afore I missed suthin'. So I fixed a fish-hook to the
lock, and nex' day Mr. Sandy had a precious sore finger somehow; and
from that day for'ard we never called him nothing but 'Sandy Hook'. [A
loud laugh from the rest applauded the joke.] But _I_'ll lend the
younker a shirt, willin'."

"And I."

"And I."

"Well, look'ee here, boys," said old Herrick, "let's give him poor
Allen's chest and kit. _He_'ll never need it more, poor fellow, and I've
heerd him say he'd nary relation ashore. Seems to me Frank's the one as
ought to have it: what say ye all?"

All agreed, and the drowned man's chest was pulled out and rummaged. Out
came caps, jackets, trousers, shirts, sea-boots. Out came three or four
letters and a photograph, which were laid aside to be handed over to the
purser; and lastly, out came a small, well-thumbed Bible of
old-fashioned look, which Herrick (after eying it thoughtfully for a
moment) put into his own pocket.

"Whew! who'd ha' thought Allen kep' a Bible?"

"I _have_ seen him spellin' in it, though, once and again; but he always
shet it up when anybody cum nigh him."

"Well, well, 'twarn't _it_ as brought him his ill luck, anyhow. Now,
young un, let's see how t