"Don't refrain on my account from telling it here and now, captain," said
Cousin Ronald with a humorous look and smile. "I'm not so patriotic as to
endorse wrong-doing even on the part of Britons."

"We are all sure of that, sir," returned the captain, "but this time and
place are not the most favorable for the telling of a story of that
length."

"And grandma will sit down somewhere with the children presently for a
rest, in some quiet place, and tell them the story of the gun should they
wish to hear it," said Mrs. Travilla; and with that promise the children
seemed well content.




CHAPTER IX.


By the middle of the afternoon Grandma Elsie, Grace, and the little ones
were all weary enough to be glad to return to the _Dolphin_ for a rest.

After a refreshing nap Grace and the children gathered about Mrs. Travilla
and begged for the fulfilment of her promise to tell the story of "Long
Tom," and she kindly complied.

"The _General Armstrong_ was a privateer, and the fight I am now going to
tell about was one of the most famous of the war of 1812-14," she said.
"The vessel was commanded by Captain Samuel C. Reid, a native of