“I’ll thend you a pothtal card from Europe,” shouted Tommy.

The “Sue” dipped and heeled under the fresh breeze, and, with a “bone in her teeth”—­a white bar of foam at her bows—­reached for the open sea.

“Take the wheel,” ordered the skipper, nodding at Harriet.  “Don’t move it much except to fill your sails.  See that the sails are full and pulling strongly at all times, and watch the weather for squalls.  When the sails are pulling too strong, point the nose closer into the wind, but the ‘Sue’ will stand up under more than an ordinary squall.  That’s it.”

“She is a splendid boat!” cried Harriet.

“She is at least a well-balanced boat,” answered Captain Billy.  “Having the wind on the quarter, we do not have to tack any on this course.  You see, we are headed Northeast by East three-quarters.  Keep her there.”

“Were I to keep straight on as I am, where would we land?” asked Harriet.

“England.”

“Oh, let uth keep right on until we get to England,” piped Tommy.  “How far ith it?”

“Three thousand miles, more or less,” replied the skipper.

“Thave me!”

She had followed the skipper forward, where he had gone to change the set of one of the jibs, Tommy watching him with questioning eyes.

“There wath a man at the camp the other day,” began the little lisping girl.

“A man?  What did he want in your camp?”

“He wath athking quethtionth about you and the boat,” replied Tommy innocently.

“Eh?” The skipper’s filmy blue eyes took on a steely glint.  “Asking about me?”

“Yeth.”

“What did he want to know?”

“All about you.”

“Did he say what for?” Captain Billy showed more excitement in his manner than Tommy ever before had seen him exhibit.

“No, not that I know of.  He athked the guardianth about you, tho I heard, where we got you and who got you.  Why do you thuppothe he wanted to know all of thothe thingth?” questioned the little girl, her eyes wide, questioning and innocent.

“I don’t know, Miss.  Forget it.”

“Do you thuppothe it hath anything to do with the ‘Thilly Thue’ going out in the night?”

Captain Billy gripped the sheet that he was wrapping about a cleat, his red face took on a deeper shade, his eyes grew menacing.  But Tommy refused to see anything threatening in either attitude or gaze.  She chuckled gleefully.

“Oh, I can keep a thecret.  I haven’t told anything, have I?” laughed Tommy as she ran back to her companions, her eyes bright and sparkling.  “I made him thit up and notithe thingth,” she chuckled in Harriet’s ear.  “You watch him, and thee how mad he lookth when he cometh back here.”

The expression on the face of the skipper bore out all that Tommy had said of him.  Harriet rebuked her, and demanded to know what she had said, but Tommy laughed merrily and ran into the cabin.