r of the climbing, and they went on, with their feet
slipping in the fir-needles, till Dot dropped one of the sticks she
carried and caught at her brother's arm.

"What's that?" she whispered.

"Bird: woodpecker tapping. There it is again."

For a sharp sound was heard from close at hand, and directly after they
caught sight of the little fellow that made the noise--a bright-looking
bird with black and white markings and some scarlet feathers about its
head.

The next minute it flew to another tree, and Dot picked up the stick
she had dropped, and followed her brother out of the shady grove into
the sunshine, to stand on the sandy shore of the beautiful lake of
clear water, from which their home took its name of "The Pool House."
One side of the broad piece of water was sheltered by fir-trees, but
the other was open, and from where they stood they could look right
across it to the deep blue sea.

"Can you see Papa's ship, Bob?" asked Dot.

"Of course you can't," cried the boy laughingly; "it's miles and miles
away, at Portsmouth."

"Well, can't you see Portsmouth?" asked Dot.

"Of course not--without Pa's big telescope that he has on board."

The Skipper set down his ship in the sand, trimmed the sails a little,
took out the boiler and half filled it with water, put it back, and
took a box of matches from his pocket; Dot looking on with a face
screwed up, from the interest she took in the business. Then a match
was struck, while she held the straw hat to shelter the flame; and
kneeling there, with the model's keel buried deep in the sand, the
Skipper lit the lamp, but not without scorching the foresail a little.

The next minute the "Flash" was launched, but remained aground in the
shallow water.

Dot knew her business, though, and handed her brother one of the
sticks, with which he reached out and gave the vessel a good push, that
sent it into deep water, where the light breeze filled out the sails,
and away went the "Flash" toward the other side, while the two children
started off to walk round past the penstock where the water was so
deep, and where, during the past year Captain Trevor had brought his
son to teach him how to swim, giving him lessons until he had felt
brave enough to run out along the boards, and jump, head first, right
out into the water.

When he could do that without feeling afraid, diving down ever so far
toward the sandy bottom, and, coming up again ready to shake his head
and fol