m Dory himself.

They are the boat-builders whose exploits and achievements are to be
recorded, and they may as well be introduced at this as at any other
time. Thad Glovering was an orphan, who lived with his uncle. As this
relative had several children of his own, the added one was a burden to
him, for he had but small wages. Thad declared that he was willing to
work; but up to this time nothing had been found for him to do. The
worst that could be said of him was that he was wild.

[Illustration: "THE FOUR PASSENGERS TUMBLED IN OVER THE STERN OF THE
GOLDWING." PAGE 87.]

Nat Long's father was a deck-hand on a steamer; and, as he was away most
of the time, Nat was permitted to have his own way. His mother was dead;
and his older sister, who had the care of the family, found herself
unable to control him. He was not a confirmed bad boy, and had worked
for a year in one place, and done very well. A change in the business
had thrown him out of work, and he had been unable to find another
situation. Idleness led him into mischief; and, without some kind of
control, it was only a question of time when he got into the hands of
the law for some crime.

Dick Short and Corny Minkfield were the sons of widows, both of whom had
some property. Their mothers were able to support them without work; but
work was the one thing they needed, whether it was with the head or the
hands.

These five boys lived near together, and they had been cronies from
their earliest school-days. Two of them were usually well dressed; and
the others were somewhat ragged, and considerably patched, showing the
efforts of their protectors to keep them decent. They had all been to
school up to the present time, and now it was vacation; and the next
thing to be decided by their friends was what should be done with them.
Dick and Corny were to go to the high school; but the others must go to
work, and earn their own living,--do something for the support of their
parents.

Dory had gone to work before the school closed for the summer, and all
the boys talked as though they intended to do something. But they did
not feel like going to work in vacation time. They had always had great
larks on the lake when school did not keep, and they were not disposed
to dispense with the good time the present year.

It could not be said that one of these boys was really bad. But they
kept all kinds of company; and, in the absence of any strong controlling
force, they