looked over her rail, noting this, I said to myself that "here is
another mystery with which Mr. Jermyn has to do." I felt a thrill
of excitement go through me. I was touching mysterious adventure
at half a dozen different points. I felt inclined to creep to the
hatchway of the little cabin, to listen there if any plots were
being hatched. It was getting duskish by this time, it must have
been nearly seven o'clock. Two men came up the cabin hatch
together. One of them was Mr. Jermyn, the other a shorter fellow,
to whom Mr. Jermyn seemed extremely respectful. I wished not to
be seen, so I ducked down nimbly into my boat, drawing her
forward by a guess-warp, till I could row without being heard by
them. I heard Mr. Jermyn calling to a waterman; so very swiftly I
paddled behind other ships in the tier, without being observed.
Then I paddled back to my uncle's boat-house, the door of which,
to my horror, was firmly fastened against me.



CHAPTER III. I LEAVE HOME A THIRD TIME

I must have made some little noise at the door, trying to get in.
At any rate, Ephraim, who was waiting for such a signal, came
forward with a churlish glee to rate me.

"So you're come back, Mr. Martin," he said. "These are nice
carryings-on for a young gentleman." I thought that I might as
well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb. Ephraim's tone jarred
me, so I told him to shut up, as I didn't want any of his jaw.
This rather staggered him, so I told him further to open the
boat-house, instead of standing like a stock, as ,I wanted to