more that we can help, for she would not like to meet Ernest and the
rest in that state, if they knew that she was a girl. And, strange to
tell," said Fritz, "she has been on shore three years."

While I went to tell the news to my wife, Fritz had gone down to his
berth to change his clothes, and I must say that he took more care to
look neat in his dress than was his wont at home.

He was not long, and when he came on deck he bid me say no word to the
rest of whom he had found. He leaped like a frog in to his light craft,
and led the way. We were soon on our course through the rocks and
shoals, and an hour's sail, with the aid of a good breeze, brought us
to a small tract of land, the trees of which hid the soil from our view.

Here we got close in to the shore, and made our bark safe. We all got
out, and ran up the banks, led by the marks that Fritz had made in the
soil with his feet. We soon found a path that led to a clump of trees,
and there saw a hut, with a fire in front, from which rose a stream of
smoke.

As we drew near I could see that the boys did not know what to make of
it, for they gave me a stare, as if to ask what they were to see next.
They did not know how to give vent to their joy when they saw Fritz
come out of the hut with a strange youth, whose slight make, fair face,
and grace of form, did not seem to match well with the clothes that
hung upon his limbs.

It was so long since we had seen a strange face, that we were all loth
to speak first. When I could gain my speech I took our new friend by
the hand, and told her in words as kind as I could call to my aid, how,