Produced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) ELSIE ON THE HUDSON _AND ELSEWHERE_ BY MARTHA FINLEY AUTHOR OF THE ELSIE BOOKS, THE MILDRED BOOKS, "WANTED, A PEDIGREE," ETC. NEW YORK DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY PUBLISHERS COPYRIGHT, 1898, DODD, MEAD & COMPANY. _All rights reserved._ THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, RAHWAY, N. J. NOTE. For information in regard to the events of our two wars with England, the author is largely indebted to Lossing's historical works--The Field Books of the Revolution and of the War of 1812. M. F. ELSIE ON THE HUDSON CHAPTER I. Crag Cottage was almost overflowingly full the first night after the arrival of its young mistress and her friends, but with a little contrivance all were comfortably accommodated. Most of them, weary with their journey, slept rather late in the morning, but Captain Raymond and his eldest daughter were as usual out of doors--out in the grounds--early enough to enjoy the beautiful sight of the rising of the sun over the eastern mountains. They met upon the front porch just in time to walk down together to Evelyn's favorite summer house on the edge of the cliff, before the king of day showed his bright face peeping above those eastern heights. "Oh, what a lovely sight!" exclaimed Lucilla. "I am so glad, papa, that we are out in time to see it." "Yes," he said, "it is worth the giving up of an extra hour of sleep. Especially as we can take that during the day if we feel the need of it. I would never have you do without needed sleep, daughter. There is nothing gained by it in the end." "No, papa, but I think I do not need so much as do some others,--Gracie, for instance,--and I do so enjoy these early walks and talks with you--the dearest father that ever any girl had, I am sure," she added, giving him a look of ardent affection. "Ah, but you must remember there are some fathers you haven't tried," he returned with a slight laugh of amusement, but accompanied by a fond pressure of the pretty white hand she had slipped into his. "Yet I am just as sure as if I had tried them all, father," she laughed. "There may perhaps be some few nearly as good, but I know they can't be any better. Oh, see! yonder is a yacht coming up the river. I wish it was ours." "Possibly it may be. Look again," her father said.