"And He did!" cried the child. "The good Lord did take 'em sudden,
didn't He, Daddy Captain?"

"He did, my child!" said the old man, solemnly. "They was all home,
them that was goin', in ten minutes from the time I saw the ship.
You know the Roarin' Bull, as sticks his horns out o' water just to
windward of us? the cruelest rock on the coast, he is, and the
treacherousest: and the ship struck him full and fair on the starboard
quarter, and in ten minutes she was kindlin' wood, as ye may say. The
Lord rest their souls as went down in her! Amen!"

"Amen!" said little Star, softly. But she added in an eager tone,
"And now, Daddy, you are coming to me!"

"Pooty soon, Jewel Bright!" said the old man, stroking the gold hair
tenderly. "I'm a-comin' to you pooty soon. 'Twas along about eight
bells when she struck, and none so dark, for the moon had risen. After
the ship had gone down, I strained my eyes through the driving spray,
to see whether anything was comin' ashore. Presently I seed somethin'
black, driftin' towards the rocks: and lo' ye, 'twas a boat bottom
side up, and all hands gone down. Wal! wal! the Lord knew what was
right: but it's wuss by a deal to _see_ them things than to be in
'em yourself, to my thinkin'. Wal, after a spell I looked agin, and
there was somethin' else a-driftin' looked like a spar, it did: and
somethin' was lashed to it. My heart! 'twas tossed about like a
egg-shell, up and down, and here and thar! 'Twas white, whatever was
lashed to it, and I couldn't take my eyes off'n it. 'It can't be
alive!' I says, 'whatever it is!' I says. 'But I'll get it, if it
takes a leg!' I says. For down in my heart, Jewel, I knew they
wouldn't ha' taken such care of anythin' _but_ what was alive, and