“We’ll see, come night,” replied Captain Enos.
The two were walking down the sandy path together,—Captain Enos bound for the shore, and Anne started for Mistress Starkweather’s to thank her for the coral beads.
“Be a good child,” said Captain Enos, as he turned from the path and left Anne to go on alone.
As the little girl came near the spring, she saw a man rolling a water cask toward it, and toward the shore she could see several other men, whom she knew came from the British ship. She looked closely at the man at the spring, and as she passed near him, noticed that his hair was red. He smiled and nodded as Anne went by, and then she saw that he had pleasant blue eyes, and she stopped and said: “Have you forgotten the little girl you saved from the Indians?”
“No, indeed!” replied the big man heartily; “and so you are John Nelson’s little girl. And you are not afraid of a Britisher?”
“Oh, no!” said Anne, in surprise; “you have two little maids in England.”
“That I have, safe with their mother. But I should like well to see their bright faces, and your father would like to see you, child. You do not forget him?”
“No,” said Anne soberly. “We plan to write him a letter for you to take.”
“Speak not so loud,” cautioned the man; “the other sailors may hear. And get your letter ready soon, for, come a fair wind, we’ll be off up the coast again to Boston Harbor.”
“Do your little girls write you letters?” asked Anne.