f Purt has the nightmare and
draws that 'family friend,' the faithful revolver, on the ghost of the
dog--Good-_night_! Like enough he'll blow us all out of the tent."

"I bet that Barnacle dogs his 'feetsteps' for the rest of Purt's
mortal existence," declared Chet, prophetically.

"One thing," said Lil Pendleton, "the nasty beast can't follow us to
Acorn Island."

"And we won't get there ourselves to-day, if we don't hurry," Chet
said. "Come on, Pretty! let's see what your little _Duchess_ can do,"
and he speeded up the engine of the _Bonnie Lass_.

"We have some distance to go, that's a fact," said Nellie. "The island
is two miles beyond the end of Rocky River."

The bigger powerboat pulled away from the _Duchess_ and the two
parties ceased shouting back and forth. Mrs. Morse was trying to get a
nap, so the girls did not sing. But they told jokes and stories, and
of course Bobby gave one of her jingles:

"'There was an old man of Nantasket
Who went to sea in a basket:
When up came a shark,
Swallowed him and his bark----
Now, wasn't that a fine funeral casket?'"

"Oh! I can beat that one," cried Jess.

"Let's hear you," responded the black-eyed miss.

"Listen, then," returned her schoolmate:

"'A canny young canner of Cannee,
One morning observed to his Granny,
"A canner can can
A lot of things, Gran,
But a canner can't can a can, can 'e?"'"

Now, how is that for a match for _your_ limerick?"

This started the ball a-rolling. Dora Lockwood raised her hand,
crying,

"Please, teacher! I have one," and immediately produced this:

"'There was a small boy who lived in Jamaica,
Who bought a lobster wrapped in a brown paper;
The paper was thin
And the lobster grabbed him----
What an awful condition that small boy was in!'"

This woke up Dorothy Lockwood, who would not be outdone by her twin.
She recited:

"'In Huron, a hewer, Hugh Hughes,
Hued yew-trees of unusual hues.
Hugh Hughes used blue yews
To build sheds for his ewes;
So his ewes a blue-hued yew shed use.'"

"Great Scott, girl!" gasped Chet. "That almost twisted your tongue out
of kilter."

"Any more?" queried Lance, who likewise ha