A Runaway Brig;

of course, Harry and Walter grieved because of the sorrow their unexplainable absence must have caused at home; but

lution of the mystery, and it was quite a jolly party which g

at'ral-like, I reckon we'll get some sail on the old hooker this afternoon," Bob said

pocket-handkerchief," Jim suggested

e ready when the breeze does come. There's time now to give

ey ever hoped to reach home again, and they signified their willingness to begin at

y, "an' we'll lay under the awnin' till

on deck they were electrified by hearing him shout, a

an' be towed into port. Set the flag so's they'll know we'r

g toward them under steam, as could be told from the thread of smoke which floated on the still air, and after one g

," the young fisherman said

ed as he went into the cabin for a glass; and when he came on de

the glass to his eyes, while a mystified ex

what you can make out. It

gazing at the approaching craft several seco

spars?" Bob as

nd-- Why, what's that? She's

he brought his hand down on the rail with a vi

o that's why I asked you to look. Her bow has be

isappointment, "she's comin' to a pretty poor place,

all hands with watching the stranger, which approached very slowly,

y to the pilot-house. A stream of water coming from the starboard side told that the steam-pump was necessary

short-handed as we are," Bob

g ah

on the

The steamer is sinking, and

g the engine?

ng to steer at

three boys here. Can't you

r's speed was checked. Then he entered the pilot-house again, going below o

be thrown aboard, and ten minutes later she was lying alongside th

ecently tough time," Bob said by

loat. If some craft hadn't hove in sight to-day I should

u get in su

the engineer, and had an assistant. He was on duty at the time, and I asleep in the after cabin. The shock of the collision threw me out of the bunk and stunned m

o you ha

rd is a new boat, and we

have you

s from th

onita from the time the boys came aboard; saying, in conclusion: "We're better off than you, for the brig is sound; so you'd best bring your traps over the rail an' le

on ship-board has been in the engine-room, an

pluck," Bob said approvin

Sea Bird. She isn't stove below the water-line

;" and Bob shook his head gravely as if to say he thought it a hopeless case. "Howsomever, whi

e boys, eager to see the little steamer, followed

alker; you, that never belonged to any craft; the old Bonita, with nobody to work her; Bob, as a remnant of the Trade Wi

king these crafts into port!" and Walter leaped on to the deck of the tug in a discontented way

injury than really was the case. Instead of a sharp, narrow bow, as is usual on crafts of her kind, the hull flared very decidedly from the water-line

d he at once began a careful examination with a view

he asked, coming on deck after spe

run three o

manage to make some nearer port," he said half to himself; and then added, in a louder tone: "I calculate the

your party steers," said the engineer eagerly. "Why not tackle the job? If

on of the shattered timbers, looked again in the hold, and then, aft

a's crew is agreeable; an' by patchin' the steamer up I reckon it'

aking, and Harry, answering for the others as wel

w; and it won't be our f

n their already overloaded shoulders; and that this opinion was share

or checked, during the hours of darkness when the danger of striking a reef would be greatest. An engineer and a helmsman wa