"Look!"
As Buttons spoke the boat ahead fell rapidly to leeward. The wind had fallen, and a current which they had struck upon bore them away. In the effort to escape from the current the boat headed toward Buttons, and when the wind again arose she continued to sail toward them. As they came nearer Buttons's face exhibited a strange variety of expressions.
[Illustration: A Thousand Pardons!]
They met.
In the other boat sat two English ladies and a tall gentleman, who eyed the two young men fixedly, with a "stony British stare."
"A thousand pardons!" said Buttons, rising and bowing. "I mistook you for some acquaintances."
Whereupon the others smiled in a friendly way, bowed, and said something. A few commonplaces were interchanged, and the boats drifted away out of hearing.
.