“Uncle Enos, could we not go to Boston again and find my father?” Anne would ask, and Captain Enos would grow serious and shake his head, and say it would be too great a risk to undertake. So Anne helped Aunt Martha with the work of the house, played with her doll under the pine trees, and wandered about the shore with Amanda, but always thinking of her absent father, and wishing that she might go and find him.
“I am past nine years old. If I was a boy, I could sail a boat to Boston,” she said to Amanda one day, as they went down to the beach to watch the fishing-boats come in.
“Yes,” agreed Amanda; “I guess that Amos could sail a boat to Boston before he was nine.”
“Then he could sail one there now,” exclaimed Anne. “Oh, Amanda, wouldn’t Amos sail us to Boston to find my father? Uncle Enos will not; he says ’Tis not safe. But surely the English would not hurt two little girls and a boy. Would Amos be afraid?”
“Afraid of what?” Amos had come up beside them, and the sound of his voice made them jump.
“Afraid to sail a boat to Boston,” explained Anne.
“That would be easy enough,” declared the boy, “and I would like well to get the chance to sail father’s ‘Peggy’ to Boston.”
“Will you, Amos? And take Amanda and me with you to find my father? I will take all the blame, indeed I will. And if we find him and bring him back, they will all think you a brave boy, Amos.”
“They will not let us start,” said Amos. “We’d have to put off in the night. But I’ll do it. You girls must bring along something to eat, and we’ll start at midnight.”
“When?” asked Anne.