went wrong in Mrs. Kinzer's
management of the "setting out," and that was half the day won to begin
with. Ford had some difficulty in getting Joe and Fuz out of bed so
early as was necessary; but he gave them an intimation which proved
quite sufficient:--

"You'd better hop, boys. Ham Morris wouldn't wait five minutes for the
Queen of England, or even for me."

"Joe," whispered Fuz, a little while after they got on board the yacht,
"are we to be gone a week?"

"Why? What's up?"

"Such piles of provisions as they've stowed away in that kennel!"

The bit of a water-tight cabin under the half-deck, at which Fuz
pointed, was pretty well filled, beyond a doubt; but Mrs. Kinzer knew
what she was about. She had provided luncheon for most of that party
before, and the effect on them of the sea-air was also to be taken into
account.

"Dab," said Ford Foster, "you've forgotten to unhitch the 'Jenny,' Here
she is, towing astern."

"That's all right. We may need her. She's too heavy to be taken on
board."

A careful fellow was Mr. Hamilton Morris, and he well knew the value of
a rowboat to a sea-going picnic-party. As for Joe and Fuz, they were
compelled to overcome a strong inward inclination to cast the boat
loose. Such a good joke it would have been! But Ham Morris was in the
way of it, so long as he stood at the tiller.

"The Swallow" was steady enough to inspire even Annie Foster with a
feeling of confidence; but Ford carefully explained to her the
difference between slipping over the little waves of the landlocked bay,
and plunging into the gigantic billows of the stormy Atlantic.

"I prefer this," said Annie.

"But I wouldn't have missed the other for any thing," replied Ford.
"Would you, Dick?"

Mr. Richard Lee had taken his full share in the work of starting, and
had made himself singularly useful; but, if all the rest had not been so
busy, they would surely have noticed his remarkable silence. Hardly a
word had he uttered that anybody could remember; and, now he was forced
to say something, his mouth opened slowly, as if he had never tried to
speak before, and was not quite sure he knew how.

"No--Mr.--Foster,--I--would--not--have--missed--that--trip--for--a--good
--deal."

Every word came out by itself, "afoot and alone," and as different from
Dick's ordinary speech as a cut stone is from a rough one. Ham Morris
opened his eyes wide, and Ford puckered his lips into the shape of a
still whistle; but An