At this moment a small boat, rowed by two negroes, came in from the lake, and Chap found that they had just come across from Enterprise. The Winkyminky, they informed him, was preparing to start when they left, but she had not passed this point yet, and they could row him out to meet her. Chap then hastily wrote a note by the light of a lantern on the pier, and sending it to the boys, was taken out to meet the Winkyminky. When that little steamboat came along the captain stopped and took Chap on board. His advent occasioned a great deal of surprise, but a comfortable state-room was given him, for all the Winkyminky’s Indian River passengers had left her at Sanford. But the next morning he found that there were three passengers who had come on board at Enterprise. One of these was an old gentleman, another was a very respectable negro woman, and the third was a lady. The old gentleman was tall and thin, with a high shirt collar, and military bearing. He was a communicative person, and soon made friends with Chap, giving him a great deal of information on various subjects. “Do you see that lady sitting over there by herself?” he said. “Well, sir, you don’t often see anybody like that in this country, sir.” “What’s the matter with her, sir?” asked Chap. “Well, sir, she is a countess. Did you ever see one before?” “Never, to know it,” said Chap, “except in pictures.” “Well, that is one, sir. She is a republican by birth, from some place in the North, but she married a Spanish count, and they have an orange-grove in the back country here.” “Is it necessary for her to hold herself aloof?” asked Chap. “Aloof!” said the old gentleman. “Yes,” said Chap; “she has been alone since I first saw her. I should think she’d be glad to have somebody to talk to.” “She might,” said the other, “if she could meet with persons of her own rank and station. But, otherwise, she would probably prefer to be aloof, as you call it, sir.” About half an hour after this, Chap borrowed a fishing-line from the cook, for all his traps had been left at Sanford, and went to the stern of the boat, where the countess sat with a novel in her hand. Taking a position not far from her, he threw out his line, and let it troll behind the boat. After a while she raised her eyes from her book and, looking at Chap, asked,-- “What are you fishing for?” “Good!” said Chap to himself. “She has broken through her feudal bonds, and speaks to the masses.” And then, aloud, he answered,-- “Anything I can get. Did your grace ever try trolling from a steamboat?” “No,” said the lady, with a laugh. “My grace never did. Why do you call me that?” “It was the nearest I could come to it,” said Chap. “I should be glad to know just what to say.” “So long as we are not in Spain, madam will do very well,” said the countess. “And now tell me, how did you come to get on board here, at night, all by yourself?”