hey were all aboard.

Well, by this time it was pretty dark, and Capt. Noah felt uneasy about
the animals, so he stood up on the bow of the big boat and called out:

"All aboard for the night!"

"All aboard for the night!" he called out again, and then he turned to
little Marjorie and said, "I'd never forgive myself if anything should
happen to any one of my passengers."

But, oh dear me! When Capt. Noah, who had stood by the gang-plank and
checked off each animal as he came aboard, found that the little red
squirrel was missing, he was dreadfully worried.

"Goodness me!" he exclaimed, "if that squirrel has gone off into the
woods, how will we ever find him?"

"Well, there's no use in worrying," said Mrs. Noah, who just then came up
from below deck. "Come down and get a nice hot cup of tea. After you've
eaten something you'll know better what to do."

Well, after supper, everybody felt better, so Capt. Noah and his crew came
up on deck to look for the lost squirrel.

The moon was just coming up out of the east, making a silver path across
the water right up to the Ark.

As Capt. Noah looked over the railing to the sand below he saw a little
figure walking directly in the silver moon path. It seemed to be carrying
something heavy; for it paused every now and then to rest.

"It's the little red squirrel," shouted Marjorie.

"So it is," said Capt. Noah.

"Helloa, there!" he shouted, "wait and I'll let down the gang-plank!"

"Whew, but I'm tired!" panted the red squirrel, as he crawled up on deck.
"This bag of nuts is as heavy as lead!"

And then he let the well-filled bag slip from his shoulders to the deck.

"Don't you ever stay out as late as this again, sir," said Capt. Noah,
pulling in the gang-plank and making it fast for the night. "If you do,
you won't get shore leave for a long time."

"I'm glad you're back," whispered Marjorie, "for we were all dreadfully
worried about you," and this so pleased the little red squirrel that he
gave her a handful of chestnuts.

"Come along with me," said Capt. Noah, "I'm going below to see what the
boys are doing."

So Marjorie and the little squirrel followed the captain without a word,
for they saw that he was somewhat vexed.

Below deck all was in confusion, for the animals, after finishing their
supper, were trying to find places to sleep.

Although Mr. Jonah and the boys had made the place as clean as possible
since the fire, they had not, of course, bee