st and that it is torn thence by the
action of the great Atlantic current that bears it many miles from its
home; though, strangely enough, I have never seen any gulf-weed growing
on rocks in the Gulf of Florida or in any of the adjacent seas, nor has
any one else to my knowledge!"

"Then you do not believe it grows to anything at all, do you, sir?"

"No, I don't. My opinion is that it is a surface plant of old Neptune's
rearing and that the warm water of the Gulf Stream breeds it and
nourishes it, for at certain times it seems partly withered, and this
could not be due to accident. The weed, I believe, is a sailor, like
you and I, my lad, and lives and has its being on the sea, no matter
what your longshore naturalists, who don't know much about it from
personal observation, may say to the contrary. Hullo! though, my boy,
look forrad there! Where has our spar anchor gone? I thought I noticed
something and could not make out at first what it was. Look, youngster,
and see whether you can see it!"

I was equally puzzled for the moment, for although our good ship rested
as peacefully on the bosom of the deep as if she were moored, the
raftlike bundle of spars, to which she had been made fast the night
before, was now no longer to be seen bobbing up ahead, athwart our
hawser as then.

Where could our wonderful floating anchor have gone?

The next moment, however, I saw what had happened, the mystery being
easily explained by the calm.

"They've floated alongside, sir," I said. "I can see them under the
counter on the port side, sir."

"Yes, of course, there they are, exemplifying the attraction of
gravitation or some other long-winded theory of your scientific
gentlemen," replied the skipper, who seemed to have got science on the
brain this morning, being violently antagonistic to it, somehow or
other. "Ah, Fosset, see, our anchor's come home without weighing. I
think you'd better have the spars hauled on board and rig up the sticks
again, now that they've served our time in another way--aye, and served
it well, too."

"Aye, aye, sir," said the first mate, who had come up after us on the
poop, looking, I couldn't help noticing, all the better for the good and
early breakfast he had just finished. "I thought of getting them in
just now, but waited to call you first."

"Well, you needn't wait any longer, Fosset," rejoined the skipper.
"Pass the word for the bo'sun forrad."

"Yes, yes, sir. Quartermaste