tall masts which seemed almost to touch the hot blue sky; he began to
make plans for conversing with the sailors and gaining some information
on the subject of pirates.

It was just at the very last, when he was standing leaning on the
railing of the upper deck and watching the final preparations, enjoying
the excitement and the shouts of the sailors and wharfmen, that his
attention was called to a slight bustle in one of the groups not far
from him. Some one was hurriedly forcing his way through this group and
coming toward him. It was a boy, with something red in his hand. It was
Dick. He came up to Cedric quite breathless.

"I've run all the way," he said. "I've come down to see ye off. Trade's
been prime! I bought this for ye out o' what I made yesterday. Ye kin
wear it when ye get among the swells. I lost the paper when I was tryin'
to get through them fellers downstairs. They didn't want to let me up.
It's a hankercher."

He poured it all forth as if in one sentence. A bell rang, and he made a
leap away before Cedric had time to speak.

"Good-bye!" he panted. "Wear it when ye get among the swells." And he
darted off and was gone.

A few seconds later they saw him struggle through the crowd on the lower
deck, and rush on shore just before the gang-plank was drawn in. He
stood on the wharf and waved his cap.

Cedric held the handkerchief in his hand. It was of bright red silk
ornamented with purple horseshoes and horses' heads.