Paul Ardite waved to Alice as she "twinkled" her fingers at him. Paul
was in a cowboy costume, playing a scene in the cowboy story, which
seemed to be giving more and more trouble as it proceeded.

"This is the fifth time we've done that act," Paul called to Alice in an
aside as she passed. "And all because Mr. Bunn is so fussy. They'll take
him out, if he isn't careful. Where are you going, Alice?"

"Over to see _Mary Ellen_."

"Who's she? A new actress?"

"Yes, she's a 'she' I suppose, and she's going to have a big part in a
drama. I'll tell you about it later."

The _Mary Ellen_ certainly did not present a very trim appearance as the
little party went aboard her at the dock in Erie Basin. The decks were
cluttered up with an assortment of ropes, planks, casks, boxes and other
things, so that it was impossible to move about without great care. On
coming in sight of the craft Jack Jepson's face wore a look of
expectancy.

"She might be the same _Mary Ellen_ that I was on," he said.

But when he saw that the craft had three masts, whereas the ship where
the mutiny had occurred boasted of five, Jack shook his head.

"She isn't th' same ship," he murmured.

Yet as he stepped on deck he gave a start, and an exclamation escaped