“Good morning, Captain. At anchor, I see,” said Lermontoff. “No, not at anchor. Merely lying here. The sea is too deep, and affords no anchorage at this point.” “Where are all these goods going?” The Captain nodded his head at the rock, and Lermontoff gazed at it again, running his eyes from top to bottom without seeing any vestige of civilization. “Then you lie to the lee of this rock, and the small boat takes the supplies ashore?” “Exactly,” said the Captain. “The settlement, I take it, is on the other side. What is it--a lighthouse?” “There’s no lighthouse,” said the Captain. “Sort of coastguard, then?” “Yes, in a way. They keep a lookout. And now, Highness, I see your overcoat is on your back. Have you left anything in your room?” The Prince laughed. “No, Captain, I forgot to bring a portmanteau with me.” “Then I must say farewell to you here.” “What, you are not going to maroon me on this pebble in the ocean?” “You will be well taken care of, Highness.” “What place is this?” “It is called the Trogzmondoff, Highness, and the water surrounding you is the Baltic.” “Is it Russian territory?” “Very, very Russian,” returned the Captain drawing a deep breath. “This way, if your Highness pleases. There is a rope ladder, which is sometimes a little unsteady for a landsman, so be careful.” “Oh, I’m accustomed to rope ladders. Hyvasti, Captain.” “Hyvasti, your Highness.” And with this mutual good-by in Finnish, the Prince went down the swaying ladder. CHAPTER XV --“A HOME ON THE ROLLING DEEP” FOR once the humorous expression had vanished from Captain Kempt’s face, and that good-natured man sat in the dainty drawing-room of the flat a picture of perplexity. Dorothy had told him the story of the Nihilist, saying she intended to purchase the yacht, and outlining what she proposed to do with it when it was her own. Now she sat silent opposite the genial Captain, while Katherine stood by the window, and talked enough for two, sometimes waxing indignant, and occasionally giving, in terse language, an opinion of her father, as is the blessed privilege of every girl born in the land of the free, while the father took the censure with the unprotesting mildness of his nature. “My dear girls, you really must listen to reason. What you propose to do is so absurd that it doesn’t even admit of argument. Why, it’s a filibustering expedition, that’s what it is. You girls are as crazy as Walker of Nicaragua. Do you imagine that a retired Captain of the United States Navy is going to take command of a pirate craft of far less legal standing than the ‘Alabama,’ for then we were at war, but now we are at peace. Do you actually propose to attack the domain of a friendly country! Oh!” cried the Captain, with a mighty explosion of breath, for at this point his supply of language entirely gave out. “No one would know anything about it,” persisted Katherine.