“It air gone,” he said; “the derream hev bust! The berright derream of fortin, of wealth, an of perosperity. Gone, tew, air the ole Antelope--companion of my toils, my feelins, an my fame. Boys, you hev ben the confidants of my feelins towards this here Antelope, an knows how I loved her, yea, even as the apple of my aged eye! I stood here, not long sence, by yon rudder, fixed firm an solemn; resolved to perish with her; ready to sink into the deep blue sea. From that fate I was spared; yet still my feelins air the same; the heart’s the same--‘twill ne’er grow cold. An now I feel to mourn. I feel that I am indeed a growin old. The days of my navigatin air brought to an end. Henceforth the briny deep will be traversed by the aged Corbet no more forever. From this time I retire from the heavin biller, an take refooge in my own vine an fig tree. My navigatin arter this’ll be, with my belessed babby in my arms, up an down the room. The only storms that await me now, an the only squalls, air to be of a sterictly domestic characture. Weak human natur, boys, might be tempted to repine, an to indulge in vain lamintations over this here; but the time hev passed. I’ve made my lamintation, an that’s enough. I’ll lament no more. Peace to her ashes. Let her lie, an may no rude hand go a disturbin of the beloved Antelope in her last restin-place. Let her lie buried here beneath the ocean. Let the billowy main sound her requem, an chant her foon’ral dirge. An now, farwell! an may you be happy! Good by, Antelope--ole friend--an receive, as your last legacy an benediction, the belessin of the mournful Corbet!” He ceased. Silence followed, and in that silence they all retired from the Antelope, and returned to the shore. XXV. _Discussing the Situation.--By Land or by Sea.--Conferences with Bennie.--The Offer of Bennie.--The last Meal at Scoffs Bay.--The Boat is on the Shore, and the Bark is on the Sea.--Last Words of Solomon, and Farewell Speech of the Ancient Mariner._ ON reaching the shore they found it necessary to take into consideration the course of action that was now most advisable. “We’ve got a few weeks yet of vacation, boys,” said Bart, “and if we want to enjoy ourselves, we’d better get out of this as fast as possible.” “We ought, at any rate, to write to our fathers and mothers,” said Phil; “I don’t know what they’ll think.” “Write!” said Bruce; “we’d better hurry off home our own selves, and not send letters. For my part, I’m ready to start off this evening for Grand Pré.” “Grand Pré? But why Grand Pré?” asked Arthur. “O, I don’t know,” said Bruce: “what other way is there to go? We’ll have to get away from this, of course; and it seems most natural to cross the mountain to Grand Pré, and then go on by stage. Bart could leave us at Windsor, and take the steamer for St. John.” “Sure an the stage goes the other way altogether,” said Pat. “How’s that?”