dipping to the water a few hundred yards ahead of us. The grass
covered river-banks were far astern now, and the only land ahead
was some low sand-dunes and beaches, hardly to be seen in the
distance.

"Here goes the chocolate," said Mr. Daddles, tossing it overboard,
"once it might have saved my life, but I don't care for it now.
Chocolate flavored with salt-water is pretty poor stuff."

Then he commenced turning over his clothes, which were spread out
in the sun on top of the cabin.

"What made yer say p'r'aps this feller named Kidd was a relation
of the pirate?" asked Captain Bannister. "You'd heard 'bout
Fishback Island, hadn't yer?"

"No, I never heard the name, even."

"What about Fishback Island, Captain?" asked Ed Mason.

"You never heard all them yarns, an' all that diggin' that went on
over there?"

"No, I never heard of it," Ed replied, "are there pirates there?"

"Of course not," said Jimmy Toppan scornfully, "there aren't any
pirates anywhere, now."

"Aren't there?" the Captain inquired. He slacked the sheet a
little, and made it fast with great deliberation. "You better not