interrupted her.

"You'd better keep quiet, Mandy. You would come, 'n' now I hope you'll
get enough of it!"

That was a very long twenty minutes to Mandy, while they drew slowly
nearer and nearer to the steamboat-landing, and the little white and
brown houses of the fishermen, scattered along shore, one by one were
left behind.

"Now, Perry," the "Cap'n" said, as he unshipped his oars, while the
children clambered out of the boat, "just look at that ere watch again.
See if the Cap'n aint as good as his word. Five minutes to one, eh?
Didn't I tell ye? Hello, sissy! Where's that gal goin' to now? What's
your hurry? I'll take ye back in half an hour."

But Mandy was off, running like a young fox along the edge of the
wharf.

"Cap'n," said Bub, "we're much obliged to you, sir, and I guess I'll go
on too. Mandy's awful scared about the baby, and--"

"Lord, what a fuss 'bout a baby!" the "Cap'n" broke in with his loud
voice, "Babies aint so easy got rid of. Wal, may be you'll go rowin'
with the Cap'n again, some day. Tell yer Ma I've got some first-class
lemons, if she wants to make pies for Sunday. Can't get no such lemons
at the store."

But the "Cap'n's" last words were wasted, for Bub was already speeding
off after Mandy.