AN EXCURSION DAY AT JAMESTOWN ISLAND GADABOUT LOOKING FOR THE LOST ISTHMUS.--A VISIT TO THE "LONE CYPRESS" ONE OF THE EARLIEST EXCAVATIONS.--HUNTING FOR THE FIRST STATE HOUSE ENTRANCE TO CHIPPOAK CREEK.--COVE IN CHIPPOAK CREEK RIVERWARD FRONT OF BRANDON (In full color) A SIDE PATH TO THE MANOR-HOUSE.--THE WOODSWAY TO BRANDON IN THE DRAWING-ROOM "VENERABLE FOUR-POSTERS, RICHLY CARVED AND DARK" A CORNER IN THE DINING-ROOM.--THE DRAWING-ROOM FIREPLACE TREASURED PARCHMENTS, INCLUDING THE ORIGINAL GRANT OF 1616 THE ANCIENT GARRISON HOUSE MISS HARRISON IN THE COURT GOWN OF HER COLONIAL AUNT, EVELYN BYRD STURGEON POINT LANDING.--AT THE MOUTH OF KITTEWAN CREEK THE FOREST TOMB.--THE OLD KITTEWAN HOUSE HUNTING FOR THE CHANNEL.--APPROACHING A NARROW PLACE LOWER WEYANOKE AN ANCESTRESS OF WEYANOKE.--CHIEF-JUSTICE JOHN MARSHALL UPPER WEYANOKE.--AT ANCHOR OFF WEYANOKE PRESENT-DAY FLEUR DE HUNDRED A FISHING HAMLET.--A RIVER LANDING "LITTLE BOATS WERE NOSING INTO THE BANK HERE AND THERE" RIVERWARD FRONT OF WESTOVER THE HALL, WITH ITS CARVED MAHOGANY STAIRCASE THE HEPPLEWHITE SIDEBOARD WITH BUTLER'S DESK.--"FOUR-POSTERS AND THE THINGS OF FOUR-POSTER DAYS" THE ROMANTIC CENTRE OF WESTOVER; EVELYN BYRD'S OLD ROOM THE COLONIAL COURTYARD GATES.--TOMB OF COLONEL WILLIAM BYRD THE DRAWING-ROOM MANTELPIECE AT WESTOVER TOMBS IN THE OLD WESTOVER CHURCHYARD (In the foreground is the tomb of Evelyn Byrd) A TRAPPER'S HOME BY THE RIVER BANK.--"OFTEN ... THE WANDERING HOUSEBOAT COMES ALONG TO FIND ONLY AN EMPTY PIER" BERKELEY; THE ANCESTRAL HOME OF A SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND OF TWO PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES THE FIELD ROAD AND THE QUARTERS RIVERWARD FRONT OF SHIRLEY (In full color) THE OLD "GREAT HALL" THE DRAWING-ROOM THE KITCHEN BUILDING, FIFTY YARDS FROM THE MANOR-HOUSE A BRICK OVEN IN THE BAKE-ROOM SOME NOTEWORTHY PIECES OF OLD SHIRLEY PLATE PEALE'S PORTRAIT OF GEORGE WASHINGTON VARINA DUTCH GAP CANAL.--FALLING CREEK THE VOYAGE ENDED, GADABOUT IN WINTER QUARTERS CHAPTER I ALL ABOUT GADABOUT It was dark and still and four o'clock on a summer morning. The few cottages clustering about a landing upon a Virginia river were, for the most part, sleeping soundly, though here and there a flickering light told of some awakening home. Down close by the landing was one little house wide awake. Its windows were aglow; lights moved about; and busy figures passed from room to room and out upon the porch in front. Suddenly, with a series of quick, muffled explosions, the whole cottage seemed carried from its foundations. It slipped sidewise, turned almost end for end, then drifted slowly away from its neighbours, out into the darkness and the river. Its occupants seemed unconscious of danger. There was one of them standing on the porch quite unconcernedly turning a wheel, while two or three others were watching, with rather amused expressions, two little engines chugging away near the kitchen stove.