src="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@49029@49029-h@images@ill_015.jpg" alt="" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}img"/> Fig. 13.

Fig. 14.

Fig. 15.

A true-lovers' knot is only useful between sailors and their sweethearts. It has the peculiar charm of foretelling the feelings of the one you love. Place your cord or ribbon as in Fig. 13. Then put your fingers down through the loop a, and catch hold of the bight at b as in Fig. 14. Now withdraw your hand, carrying the bight along, and you will have the two knots as they appear in Fig. 15. After this, conceal them with your hand, and ask your fair friend to select one cord from each side and pull. If the knots separate, your hopes have been drawn asunder, but if they remain together, your future prospects are assured. Thus a and b would draw them apart.

Fig. 16.

Fig. 17.

There is a favorite little trick called a Tom-fool's knot. It amounts only to a sleight-of-hand, and must be made very deftly to be effective. First hold the cord by the parts a and b as in Fig. 16. Then pass, with the forefinger and thumb of the right hand, the part c under d and up through the loop. With the left hand pass d over c down through the loop, after which you will have the knot represented in Fig. 17, which can be at once drawn apart by the ends e and f.

Fig. 18.

Fig. 19.

A breastknot is only an ornament. It can be tied with ribbon, and makes a very pretty bow, or can be used by the ladies as a frog for a sacque. It consists, first, of three half-hitches overlapping each other as in Fig. 18. Interweave the part a under b and over c; b over a and under d. Then draw out the bight a over e, and the bight b over f, when we will have the knot as in Fig. 19.

If you wish to fasten together the ends of two ropes on which there is to be considerable strain, form them in the shape of a becket-hitch as in Fig. 20.

Fig. 20.

[Begun in No. 92 of Harper's Young People, August 2.]

TIM AND TIP;

OR, THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY AND A DOG.

BY JAMES OTIS,

AUTHOR OF "TOBY TYLER," ETC.

Chapter IV.

TIM'S START IN LIFE.

During the first day of Tim's stay at the Simpson farm he was careful to help in every kind of work, and many were the praises he won from Mrs. Simpson, who held him up as an example to Sam, until that young man almost felt sorry he had brought him there.

At night Tim went with Sam for the cow, and here it was that Tip made a most miserable failure, so far as showing that he was a valuable dog was concerned.

Sam, remembering how easily the dog had found the cow the night before, wanted to wait by the bars, and let Tip go in and bring her out, and Tim was obliged to tell him that his pet had not been trained to do that.

Then Sam put on an injured air, as if his mistake had come from something Tim had said, rather than being an idea from his own rather thick head.

That night the boys and the dog went again to Mr. Coburn's store; not because Tim proposed to spend any of his two dollars, but because there was a great fascination about the place for Sam. He delighted to lounge around there at a time when he ought to have been in bed, listening to the conversation of older loafers, believing he was gaining wisdom and an insight into the ways of the world at the same time.

On that particular night there were not as many loafers present as usual, and the conversation was so dull that Mr. Coburn found plenty of time to question Tim as to every little particular about himself.

Tim saw no reason why he should gratify the store-keeper's curiosity, and perhaps let some one know his story who would think it his duty to send information to Captain Babbige, so he contented himself by simply saying that he had come there in the hope of getting some work to do.

"Want to work, do yer?" asked a stout man with a very red face and gruff voice, who had been listening to the conversation.

"Yes, sir," replied Tim, a trifle awed by the gruffness of the voice.

"What can you do?" and the red-faced man now turned to have a better view.

"'Most anything, sir."

"Where are yer folks?"

"My father an' mother are dead," said Tim, sadly, as he stooped to pat Tip's head in a loving way.

CAPTAIN PRATT MAKES TIM AN OFFER.

"Well, now, see here," and the man took Tim by the arm, as if he was about to examine his muscle. "I'm the captain of a steamboat that runs out of the city, and I want just such a boy as you are to work 'round at anything. I'll give you three dollars a month, and find you. What do you say to it? Will you come?"

Tim was not exactly certain what the gruff-voiced man meant when he said he would pay him so much money and "find him," and he hesitated about answering until he could understand it.

Mr. Coburn thought it was the wages that prevented a speedy acceptance of the brilliant offer, and he hastened to show his friendliness to the captain by saying:

"Such offers as them don't grow on every bush, sonny, an' you had better take it. I've known Captain Pratt a good many years, an' I know he will treat you just as if he was your father. Three dollars is a good deal of money for a little shaver like you."

Tim looked at Sam for a moment doubtfully, and then he thought of what Mr. Simpson had said about his remaining at the farm.

"Can I take Tip with me?"

"Oh, that's your dog, is it? He hain't a very handsome one, but I suppose you can find a chance for him somewhere on the boat. Yes, you can take him."

"Then I'll go with you."

"All right. I shall start from this store to-morrow morning at ten o'clock. Will you be here?"

"Yes, sir," replied Tim, and then he beckoned Sam to go out. He had made up his mind suddenly, and now that it was too late to draw back, he wanted to talk the matter over, and hear what Sam had to say