his lips.

"What's the matter?" asked Alice, who was near him.

"Well, Miss, you may think it strange," he said, "but if I had my eyes
shut, I'd say I was on my old ship--th' _Mary Ellen_ I was tellin' you
about."

"But she had five masts, and this one----"

"Yes, I know, Miss Alice. But, masts or no masts there's somethin' about
this craft that's strangely familiar. I'm sure I've been on her before,
and yet--no, it can't be--three masts can't make five, no matter how you
count."

"Well, this is the ship," said Mr. Pertell to his guests. "This will be
our home when we get her fitted up in ship-shape. I don't know much
about such things myself, so I've given Captain Brisco full charge. He
is to get her in readiness."

"Well, if you were to ask me I should say it would take the greater part
of a year to get this in ship-shape," said Ruth. "I never saw such
confusion--never!" and she gazed about the deck.

"Why, Miss, this isn't anythin'--nothin' at all!" cried Jack Jepson.
"With a few of my old shipmates I could get this craft ready for a
voyage in half a day--that is, if she's all right below th' water line,"
he added as an afterthought.

"I'm trusting all that to Captain Brisco," said Mr. Pertell. "He was