"I do believe, Angus," says his hostess, laughing in her gentle way, "that you threaten to leave us just to see how anxious we are to keep you." "My position as ship’s doctor," he retorts, "is compromised. If Captain John falls ill on my hands whom am I to blame but myself?" "I am quite sure I can get him to go below," says Mary Avon, with decision—"quite sure of it. That is, especially," she adds, rather shyly, "if you will take his place. I know he would place more dependence on you than on any of the men." This is a very pretty compliment to pay to one who is rather proud of his nautical knowledge. "Well," he says, laughing, "the responsibility must rest on you. Order him below, to-night, and see whether he obeys. If we don’t get to a proper anchorage, we will manage to sail the yacht somehow among us—you being captain, Miss Avon." "If I am captain," she says, lightly—though she turns away her head somewhat, "I shall forbid your deserting the ship." "So long as you are captain, you need not fear that," he answers. Surely he could say no less. But it was still John of Skye who was skipper when, on getting under way, we nearly met with a serious accident. Fresh water and all provisions having been got on board, we weighed anchor only to find the breeze die wholly down. Then the dingay was got out to tow the yacht away from the sheltered harbour; and our young Doctor, always anxious for hard work, must needs jump in to join in this service. But the little boat had been straining at the cable for scarcely five minutes when a squall of wind came over from the north-west and suddenly filled the sails. "Look out there, boys!" called Captain John, for we were running full down on the dingay. "Let go the rope! Let go!" he shouted: but they would not let go, as the dingay came sweeping by. In fact, she caught the yacht just below the quarter, and seemed to disappear altogether. Mary Avon uttered one brief cry; and then stood pale—clasping one of the ropes—not daring to look. And John of Skye uttered some exclamation in the Gaelic; and jumped on to the taffrail. But the next thing we saw, just above the taffrail, was the red and shining and laughing face of Angus Sutherland, who was hoisting himself up by means of the mizen boom; and directly afterwards appeared the scarlet cap of Hector of Moidart. It was upon this latter culprit that the full force of John of Skye’s wrath was expended. "Why did you not let go the rope when I wass call to you?" "It is all right, and if I wass put into the water, I have been in the water before," was the philosophic reply.