ed to shore, but at a
different place than they had been before, and set out on a walk through
the woods toward the hill, which they had never managed to get to before,
although they had tried it more than once.

They took the axe along, not knowing but they might want it, and set out
in high spirits.

Hearing voices ahead of them they pushed on, and soon came across the old
sailor, Ben Bowline, and the acting head cook, Bucephalus, discussing some
knotty point.

"Ah tell yo' dis am not de way," said the negro in a very positive tone,
"an' any one what has any perspicuity in his haid will tell yo' so."

"I don't know what that 'ere is, and I don't believe I ever had any, but
it ain't the right road 'cordin' to the course," returned the sailor. "We
sot out nothe-nothe-east, and this here course is due nothe, which ain't
at all proper."

"Which way yo' wan' to go, Sailorman?" asked Buck.

"This here way, of course," said Ben, pointing.

"Huh! an' there ain't no path there, nothin' but briahs an' big rocks an'
swamp. How yo' goin' to get through there? This here way is the right way,
because it am plain to be seen that it am a thoroughfare, and has been
promenaded by pedestrians before now."

"I don't care what has happened to it, and it may be a good road all the
same, but it ain't the course we sot out on, and so it's the wrong one to
take, and I ain't going to take it."

At this point Jack, Dick and Jesse W. came along, being much amused at the
arguments offered by the disputants.

"How are you heading, Ben?" asked Jack in the soberest fashion.

"Nothe-nothe-east, sir," said the old seaman, saluting.

"Change your course to north."

"Aye-aye, sir, north it is," said Ben.

"And follow in our wake in case you are needed."

"Aye-aye, sir, follow in your wake it is, yes, sir."

"You could not have persuaded that grizzled old tar that there was any
course but the one he started on, no matter what the difficulties of his
course were, but give him a new one, and he will take it without the least
question. That's the sailor of it."

"And they would have stood there arguing till the cows came home," said
Dick. "You settled it in a moment."

"And if we need them they are there."

They kept on, now in the open and now in deep shade, having occasionally
to cut their way, pushing on toward the hill, which Jack had determined to
get to the top of, and now and then seeing it when they reached higher and
more op