that Ben had been
successful.

The skipper came alongside at last, shouting at the top of his voice,
"Ahoy, there, men! Give us a hand at this 'ere lumber, an' be spry
about it, fur there's a storm brewin', an' I've got ter be twenty mile
down the coast afore it breaks!"

The fishermen drew near at this summons, and as soon as the "Gull" was
fast, they began to unload the cargo, under the carpenter's
directions. It was carried well up the sand to preserve it from the
dash of the sea and the treachery of the tide, and Noll stood looking
on with a heart so full of joy and satisfaction that he forgot all
about the skipper till a gruff voice cried, "Why don't ye come aboard,
lad? Here be sumat fur ye that come from the city. It be a mighty
thick letter, somehow. Give us yer hand an' come up, lad!"

Noll got aboard quickly enough after this intelligence, and took the
packet which the skipper fished out from under his pea-jacket,
saying, "I wonder if it can be from Ned?"

"How ken I tell?" said Ben, evasively. "Best open it, lad,--best open
it."

Noll quickly had the envelope open, and, holding the packet upside
down, there fell out upon the deck a thick little wad of bank-notes,
which the wind threatened to take off into the sea before the boy's
astonished senses returned to him. Ben prevented such a disaster,
however, by picking up the roll and placing it in Noll's hand, with,
"It's worth savin', lad, fur 'tain't every bush that grows sech
blossoms, eh?"

"I should think not," said Noll, still full of amazement, and
hurriedly opened his letter to see where this bounty hailed from,
while Ben walked off to assist in his craft's unlading. This is what
Noll's wondering eyes found:--

"HASTINGS, May 20th.

"DEAR NOLL,--I can imagine just how your eyes are staring by this
time; but you needn't be alarmed, for I came by the money honestly.
This is how it was: Papa said I might have a new pony if I would save
my spending-money till I got a third of the sum which one would cost,
and so, though I didn't hint of it to you when I was down at Culm,
I've been laying up and laying up, like an old miser; and last Monday
morning I found that I had got the sum, and so papa made up the rest
to me. But when I thought of you and those miserable Culm people, and
how you were making a fool of yourself (as Ben T. said), I thought I'd
like to--to--well, let pony go, and help you a bit. So here's the