In spite of the old sea-captain's entertaining stories, it seemed, indeed, "a long jaunt" to West Wallen.

   To say that Fanny was a slow horse would be but a feeble expression of the truth.

   A persevering "click! click! click!" began to arise from Grandma's quarter. This annoyed Grandpa exceedingly.

   "Shet up, ma!" he was moved to exclaim at last. "I'm steerin' this craft."

   "Click! click! click!" came perseveringly from behind.

   "Dum it, ma! thar', ma!" cried Grandpa, exasperated beyond measure. "How is this hoss goin' to hear anything that I say ef you keep up such a tarnal cacklin'?"

   Just as we were coming out of the thickest part of the woods, about a mile beyond Wallencamp, we discovered a man walking in the distance. It was the only human being we had seen since we started.

   "Hullo, there's Lovell!" exclaimed Grandpa. "I was wonderin' why we hadn't overtook him before. We gin'ally take him in on the road. Yis, yis; that's Lovell, ain't it, teacher?"

   I put up my glasses, helplessly.

   "I'm sure," I said, "I can't tell, positively. I have seen Mr. Barlow but once, and at that distance I shouldn't know my own father."

   "Must be Lovell," said Grandpa. "Yis, I know him! Hullo, thar'! Ship ahoy! ship ahoy!"

   Grandpa's voice suggested something of the fire and vigor it must have had when it rang out across the foam of waves and pierced the tempest's roar.

   The man turned and looked at us, and then went on again.

   "He don't seem to recognize us," said Grandma.

   "Ship a-hoy! Ship a-hoy!" shouted Grandpa.

   The man turned and looked at us again, and this time he stopped and kept on looking.

   When we got up to him we saw that it wasn't Lovell Barlow at all, but a stranger of trampish appearance, drunk and fiery, and fixed in an aggressive attitude.

   I was naturally terrified. What if he should attack us in that lonely spot! Grandpa was so old! And moreover, Grandpa was so taken aback to find that it wasn't 

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