278 THE BOY CAPTAIN.

sat there like chumps in the boats, as she filled away an’
left them. Two days after she was overhauled by a tramp
steamer, an’ found to be in first-class condition. They as
understands such things say it was a gas from the turpen-
tine collected in the hold, that blew off the hatches, an’
when it come out looked like smoke.”

“There are several other cases on record of a sound
craft being abandoned,” Ben replied, “but I don’t just
remember them now. At all events, we can count on
it there’s enough in that ship to tassel our handkerchiefs
for life, if we could get hold of her; but we can’t, so we
may fill away on the true course once more.”

The little brig was headed toward the home port again,
and Ben watched the gallant ship until she seemed hardly
more than a cloud in the distance. Then, with a long
drawn sigh of regret because of the lost opportunity, he
turned away, and Miss Dunham, who had been observing
his every movement, said, as he did so:

« A captain who has had such good fortune as to come
safely through so many perils should not allow himself to
suffer a single pang of disappointment because he cannot
take advantage of a chance like that.”

“T know it, sweetheart, and yet it is impossible not
to consider what the capture of such a craft would mean to
you and me.”