Easing off a bit, the Eskimo headed to leeward of the Bounder, whose crew could be seen sitting in the flooded cockpit and clinging desperately to whatever they could get hold of. Water-logged as she was, the larger billows found an easier passage over, than under, her, and seemed to take pleasure in buffeting these fellows who had so defiantly challenged their power a short time before, and who now, between deluges, so anxiously watched the Eskimo.

"Ready, Jack!" sang out Billy at last. His boat was speeding toward the Bounder like a racehorse.

"Ready!" returned Jack, bracing himself for a throw.

"Let go the jib-halyards," cried Billy.

Little Jimmy obeyed the order promptly. "Hard-a-lee!" yelled Billy; and forcing down the tiller, he brought the Eskimo into the wind just to leeward of the wreck, where, with boom slapping savagely about, she lost headway not twenty feet from the Bounder's stern.

The coiled rope shot from Jack's hand; caught by a lusty gust, it barely reached the Bounder. Jennings grabbed at it and missed; but one of his crew had better luck, and seized the end of the rope. In an instant Jennings had taken it from him, and, notwithstanding a wave which swept over him, slipped it around the rudder-post, drawn it taut, and made fast.

Held by this line across her bow, the Eskimo began to dip water like a duck taking a bath. The flood swept her deck from stem to stern, nothing but the combing around the cockpit preventing her from filling.

The real man in Jennings now came from his hiding-place and took command.

"You go first, boys!" he ordered. "Quick!" as they hesitated. "There 's no time to lose!" and, seizing the one nearest to him, he actually forced him into the water.

Clinging to the straining rope, one by one the Bounder's crew made short work of gaining the Eskimo's deck, Jennings following close in their wake. The latter had barely pulled himself from the turbulent waters, when there came a great cry from the Eskimo's cockpit; in the excitement of the moment little Jimmy had risen up to get a better view, and had been knocked overboard by the boom.

We are constantly reminded that mean tendencies, of one kind or another, may be balanced in the same individual by heroic disregard of personal safety in emergencies. Jennings, catching a gleam of yellow oilskins as they sank beneath the waves, half ran, half tumbled along the rail, and, seizing the end of the main-sheet, which

happened to be lying exposed, plunged over the stern without an instant's hesitation and disappeared from sight. The rope ran out for a moment and then stopped. The suspense aboard the boat was awful; what if Jennings should come up-alone? But he did not! A shout burst from six unburdened souls as the waters parted and showed the yellow oilskins safe in Jennings' left arm. He had passed the rope around them both; in spite of the slapping boom, they were speedily pulled aboard.

"Give your orders, Dorsey; I 'll help!" shouted Jennings, scrambling forward to the line.

"Untie and bring it astern so her bow will pay off. Up with the jib, Andy! All right; cast off, Jennings! Harden in your sheet, Jack!" Billy howled his orders out of an overflowing heart.

With plenty of ballast, now, upon her weather rail, the Eskimo tacked around the Bounder and stood for the pier. The Bounder hit the rocks before the pier was reached.

Little Jimmy, water-rat that he was, had suffered not at all from his ducking. As he stepped to the wharf behind the boat-house, he was grabbed by the Captain and passed up over the heads of the now hilarious spectators, until he landed in his mother's arms. One by one, his brothers followed, everybody laughing and shouting, except the little mother, who, smiling happily through her tears, tried to gather them all to her heart at once.

An hour later, the "Eskimos" were conversing with the Captain.

"It was the steel centerboard and the baby jib that did it," said Billy. "We never could have made it in time without them."

"Yes; what's the matter with the Eskimo?" said Jack.

"Or the Eskimos'?" said the Captain; “but, boys, while you have done a big thing, don't you let it turn your heads. I don't think it will; but if it does, and I catch you posing around here as the only things on the shore, I'll souse you in the lake till you get over it." Though he smiled as he said it, the boys knew he meant it. It was not for nothing that parents considered themselves fortunate when the Fleet Captain took an interest in their children.

The cups of the season were presented to the winners at the Commodore's reception, late in August, by the Commodore himself. The Commodore's cup remained upon the table after the others had been presented. Without touching it, the Commodore faced the company in silence for a few moments.

"In place of coming here to-day," he said presently, "Mr. Jennings has sent me a letter. He

says that the events which terminated in the loss of his boat taught him a lesson. He sees that those acts that grow out of good-will toward others are far worthier than those arising from selfish desires. He contrasts his treatment of our young friends, the 'Eskimos,' with their treatment of him, and finds nothing therein that redounds to his credit. He is grateful to them beyond measure. He admits his violation of the rules, and censures himself for taking the third race by default. He refuses to accept the cup, and hopes it will be given to the Eskimo. He hopes that the club will forget his past conduct, and will allow him to race a new boat next year, when he will try to demonstrate that he at last realizes what true sport means.

I

"I don't know when I have been so pleased. have no doubt that you will vote with me to accept this letter in the spirit in which it was sent. And now, what has the skipper of the Eskimo to say about the cup?"

Billy had been conferring with the Captain, who now arose, smiling.

"The fearless skipper has suddenly become terror-stricken at the idea of addressing this terrible assembly!" he said. "He wishes me to say that he did n't win the cup, and can't accept it; but he would like to race Jennings for it next year." The club adopted this proposal with enthusi

asm.

"And now," continued the Commodore, "a word to the 'Eskimos.' The modesty with which they

have received the attentions of us all has pleased me even more than their courageous rescue of the Bounder's crew. It is their sportsmanlike spirit throughout that has caused me to have prepared for them a little token of the club's appreciation." He unrolled a package and displayed a pennant, beautifully made in the club colors, with the name Eskimo in white, upon both sides. There was a burst of applause.

"Now," he said, his kindly face lighting with a smile, "if the modest crew of the gallant sloop Eskimo will come forward, I will give myself the pleasure of presenting this pennant to them in behalf of the club."

It was an embarrassing moment for the crew; but they found courage to approach the Commodore, who grasped them each kindly by the hand and presented the pennant to Billy.

"Speech!" cried somebody in the back of the room. "Speech! Speech!" came from all quar

ters.

Poor Billy! He was ready to sink through the floor; but the Commodore put a hand upon his shoulder, and said:

"Can't you say a word to them, skipper?"

Billy pulled himself together. "All I 've got to say is well-thank you; but if the Captain had n't threatened to duck us if we got the bighead, I don't know as we should have got this pennant."

After which the crew of the Eskimo melted into the laughing and applauding assembly.

CHAPTER XX

BROTHER JOHN APPEARS AND DISAPPEARS

UNFORTUNATELY Blundell was right in his suspicions that a trick had been played upon him, for Charley had tucked a chestnut-bur under the saddle-cloth, as he confessed to me. It was a stupid thing to do, and bitterly did we regret it later on, for in Mr. Blundell we had made an enemy who liked nothing better than to pay his private scores under the pretext of subduing "traitors," as he naturally called us. In such instances he was very zealous for his cause.

But once Mr. Blundell was gone, we forgot the incident in our task of caring for those who were quartered on us. The assignment of their apartments troubled Mrs. Mummer.

"'T is Master John's room that worries me," she whispered; "we can't have them in there rummaging about. There's no telling what they might find, though I doubt not his papers are safe hidden; still 't would gall me to see the redcoats in that room that was his father's."

"Do you think they would disturb us?" I asked, meaning Peggy and myself, who shared the same bed.

"Nay, they'd better not!” cried Mrs. Mummer, bristling. "Think you we have no rights in our own house? Mummer says-"

"Then I know what we 'll do," I interrupted. "I'll move into Brother John's room. We'll put Peggy in the next one, and you shall have the dressing-closet between. That will give us place to go when we want to be rid of them."

a

"Aye, that 's well thought of," she replied. And not being one to waste much time once her mind was made up, she soon had two of the black servants who had remained with us moving the furniture about, while I did my best to make a bachelor's apartment look somewhat feminine, and succeeded enough to be fool a man-body, I hoped. The next few days passed pleasantly as far as we were concerned, for although Mrs. Mummer made great complaint over muddy boots and such-like, those who were quartered on us were English officers and men, and treated us as considerately as the circumstances permitted. They were well housed and well fed, and troubled us as little as they could, so that we went about our daily tasks quite tranquilly.

But one morning, soon after breakfast, our peaceful existence was rudely interrupted.

I was busy in the dining-room, dusting about as was my wont, and beside me little Peg chattered away, while helping to "d-d-dust." Mrs. Mummer was at work in the root-cellars, and most of the officers were lounging in the hall before the fire, for the day was chilly.

I had heard the echo of the hoof beats of a horse being ridden up the long lane to the stables, but this was so frequent an occurrence that I scarce noted it. Then suddenly came a scream of pain, and Charley, the stable-boy, ran panting into the room, with a face nigh white with terror.

"Oh, missy, save me!" he cried, falling at my feet. "Save me from dat Blunder man. He done cotch me in the stables, and he say he 'll beat my black skin off'n me for playin' dat trick. Save me, Miss Bee! He 's mighty angered"; and the boy crouched beside me in terror, clutching at my skirt. At the same moment Blundell rushed into the room with a stout riding-whip in his hand and made for Charley.

"Out of the way!" he shouted at me; "out of the way, unless you want some of the lash, too! I promised to flog that black rascal, and I'm going to do it. Out of the way!" and he strode toward me.

"Nay!" I cried, "you shall not beat the boy. Run, Peg, and tell the officers!" I called, and the child went at once.

But Blundell, made half mad by anger, came on, and, gripping me by the shoulder, raised his whip, making a slash at the negro boy cowering at my feet. The stroke, however, never reached its mark, for a hand grasped the man's collar, and he was pulled back violently and flung to the floor. I looked up and saw Brother John standing before me, coolly regarding Blundell with a look of scornful contempt.

"'T is a pity, Bee, to have to deal with one of the few base cowards King George has in his army," he said calmly. "I am sorry if he is forced to take such sorry fellows when he should have gentlemen."

Blundell rose to his feet, fairly foaming at the mouth.

"Now you will give me satisfaction for this!" he shouted. But Brother John stepped back and shook his head.

"I fight but with my equals," he replied.

"Or your betters!" the other stormed. "I am Captain Blundell, and you, I take it by your own words, are nothing more than a shabby rebel."