"If I was as big as him," said one, "I'd fire all the peelers."

"Wouldn't that be dandy!" cried another.

He won their hearts still further by something he did in midsummer.
Blunkers had asked him to attend what brilliant posters throughout that
part of the city announced as:

HO FOR THE SEA-SHORE!

SIXTH ANNUAL

CLAM BAKE

OF THE

PATRICK N. BLUNKERS'S ASSOCIATION.

When Peter asked, he found that it was to consist of a barge party
(tickets fifty cents) to a bit of sand not far away from the city, with
music, clams, bathing and dancing included in the price of the ticket,
and unlimited beer for those who could afford that beverage.

"The beer just pays for it," Blunkers explained. "I don't give um whisky
cause some ---- cusses don't drink like as dey orter." Then catching a
look in Peter's face, he laughed rather shamefacedly. "I forgits," he
explained. "Yer see I'm so da--" he checked himself--"I swears widout
knowin' it."

"I shall be very glad to go," said Peter.

"Dat's bully," said Blunkers. Then he added anxiously: "Dere's somethin'
else, too, since yer goin'. Ginerally some feller makes a speech. Yer
wouldn't want to do it dis time, would yer?"

"What do they talk about?"

"Just what dey--" Blunkers swallowed a word, nearly choking in so doing,
and ended "please."

"Yes. I shall be glad to talk, if you don't mind my taking a dull
subject?"

"Yer just talk what yer want. We'll listen."

After Peter had thought it over for a day, he went to Blunkers's gin
palace.

"Look here," he said. "Would it be possible to hire one more barge, and
take the children free? I'll pay for the boat, and for the extra food,
if they won't be in the way."

"I'm damned if yer do," shouted Blunkers. "Yer don't pay for nothinks,
but der childers shall go, or my name ain't Blunkers."

And go they did, Blunkers making no secret of the fact that it was
Peter's idea. So every child who went, nearly wild with delight, felt
that the sail, the sand, the sea, and the big feed, was all owed to
Peter.

It was rather an amusing experience to Peter. He found many of his party
friends in the district, not excluding such men as Gallagher, Kennedy
and others of the more prominent rank. He made himself very pleasant to
those whom he knew, chatting with them on the trip down. He went into
the water with the men and boys, and though there were many good
swimmers, Peter's country and river training made it p