natives, did not know.

"I really cannot tell, sir," said the chief mate, touching his cap.

Two strapping youths--one about sixteen, the other eighteen--leaned over
the side and paid no regard to the question; but it was obvious, from
the heaving motion of their shoulders, that they were not so much
absorbed in contemplation as they pretended to be.

"Come, Leo, Alf, you know something about this."

The Captain was a large powerful man of about forty, with bushy
iron-grey curls, a huge beard, and an aquiline nose. The two youths
turned to him at once, and Leo, the eldest, said respectfully, "We did
not see it done, uncle, but--but we think--"

"Well, what do you think?"

At that moment a delicate-looking, slender lad, about twelve years of
age, with fair curly hair, and flashing blue eyes, stepped out from
behind the funnel, which had hitherto concealed him, and said boldly,
though blushingly--

"I did it, father."

"Ha! just like you; why did you do it? eh!"

"I can hardly tell, father," said the boy, endeavouring to choke a
laugh, "but the Eskimos looked so funny, and I--I had a box of matches
in my pocket, and--and--I thought a shot would make them look so very
much funnier, and--and--I was right!"

"Well, Benjamin, you may go below, and remain there till further
orders."

When Captain Vane called his son "Benjamin," he was seriously
displeased. At other times he called him Benjy.

"Yes, father," replied the boy, with a very bad grace, and down he went
in a state of rebellious despair, for he was wildly anxious to witness
all that went on.

His despair was abated, however, when, in the course of a few minutes,
the yacht swung round so as to present her stern to the shore, and
remained in that position, enabling him to observe proceedings from the
cabin windows almost as well as if he had been on deck. He was not
aware that his father, knowing his son's nature, and wishing to temper
discipline with mercy, had placed the vessel in that position for his
special benefit!

The difficulty now was, how to attract the natives, and inspire them
with confidence in the good intentions of their visitors. In any case
this would have been a difficult matter, but the firing of that unlucky
gun had increased the difficulty tenfold. When, however, Captain Vane
saw the natives cease their mad flight, and turn to gaze at the vessel,
his hopes revived, and he set about a series of ingenious efforts to
attain hi