"Songbird, are you sure of it?" demanded Dick.

"Sure? Wasn't I talking to him!"

"But--but--I thought he was lost in that hurricane, when the
_Josephine_ was wrecked."

"No. It seems he escaped to a vessel bound for England; but his uncle,
Sid Merrick, was lost, and so were most of the others. Sobber just got
back from England--came in on one of the ocean liners, so he told me."

"How did he act?" asked Tom.

"Where was he going?" added Sam.

"Did he seem to have any money?" came from Dick.

All of the Rovers were intensely interested, and showed it plainly.

"Say, one question at a time, please!" cried Songbird, "You put me in
mind of a song I once wrote about a little boy:

"'A little lad named Johnny Spark
Was nothing but a question mark.
He asked his questions night and day,
When he was resting or at play.
One minute he would tackle pa,
And then he'd turn and tackle ma;
And then his uncle he would quiz--"