"Yes," said Bessie; "but we will save them till you all come, so all our big people can have some too."
"Oh, no! keep them for yourselves," said the Colonel; "your big people all had enough last night, and I kept these out for you, knowing how fond you and Maggie were of them."
Bessie thanked and kissed him, and ran off, giving her prize to Starr to carry for her.
"There's a way by which I can take you back quicker, if you didn't mind being lifted up a steep place in the rocks. It's quite safe: would you like it, Miss Bessie?" said Starr.
Bessie said she would rather go by the shortest way; and Starr struck into a path, if path it could be called, which was quite new to her. But he carried her safely over the rugged way, while she chatted merrily to him.
"Starr," she said, "I'm going to give you a piece of my banana, 'cause you're so very kind and good to me."
"Thank you kindly, miss," said the man; "but I never eat them, not if a shipful was before me."
"Don't you like them?" asked the little girl.
"No, miss."
"Oh! I like them better than any thing,—I mean better than any thing else to eat," said Bessie; "and I was very much pleased when the Colonel gave me these, 'cause I didn't have one since I came to Chalecoo."