When I came to myself, he promised to put me on board the first home-going ship we met; but, as we were far out of the track of these, we never came across a sail.

We did land at Tristan d'Acunha, about which I'll have to tell you something bye-and-bye as to a plan I've got in my head, however, as no vessel with the exception of ourselves had been there for six months, there was not much use in my leaving a letter to be forwarded home, on the chance of its being called for, was there ?" "No," said Fritz, laughing.

"A bad sort of post office that!" "So," continued Eric, "I had to wait till I landed here last Friday, when I wrote at once to dear mother and you, whom I thought would of course still be at Lubeck." "Ah, you don't know all that has happened since you left," said Fritz solemnly.
"Nothing is the matter with mother, dear mutterchen ?" asked Eric in a frightened voice.
"No; she's quite well, thank God," said Fritz, who then proceeded to give his brother a history of all that had transpired in his absence-- the account taking all the longer from Eric's ignorance of the war and everything connected with it, he not having seen a newspaper from the time of his leaving home until his arrival at Rhode Island, when, the events of the past memorable year being of course stale news, they had no chance of being communicated to him.
"And now," said Fritz, when he had made an end of his confidences in return for his brother's story, "I want to know Captain Brown, and thank him for all his kindness to you, Eric." As Fritz said this, the broad-shouldered, jolly, seafaring man Eric had pointed out--who was still talking to Fritz's acquaintance of the steamboat, close to the divan and within sound of the brothers' voices-- hearing his name spoken, looked towards Fritz, who at once raised his hat politely.
"Sarvint, sir," said he, coming forward and stretching out an open hand about the size of a small-sized ham.
"You're the brother, I reckon from the likeness, of this young shaver I picked up off the Cape, hey?
My name's Brown, Cap'en Brown, sir, of the _Pilot's Bride_, the smartest whaling craft as ever sailed out o' Providence, I guess.

Glad to know you, mister!".