"Oh, de fog!" he gasped, as he paused for breath. "Hi! dat's more'n fog." He drew in a long, full measure of the damp air, and then he shouted to something big and black about ten feet from him: "Ship aho-o-oy! Mars' Wot's-yer-name, hab you' seen anyt'ing ob a lot ob chil'en wid an ole wreck?"
"Hurrah, Barbie! there comes Kisedek Pound. We're all right."
"Chil'en," said Kisedek, solemnly, as he came along-side, "doesn't you know it's stealin' to run away wid anoder man's ship wot's had all de holes in her patched up? I's gwine to tell yer moders soon's ebber I git ye all ashoah."
There was great excitement for a few minutes on board the Rip Van Winkle, and then she was left, without crew or passengers, to be swept on by the tide, until she again ran aground on a muddy flat further up the bay.
Long before that occurred, however, old Kisedek Pound had explained to "Missis" Kyle and "Missis" Ridgeway why their children were not home to dinner.
MASTER SATURDAY AND HIS FRIENDS.