, Freddie. Shall we play steamboat, and shall I be the
whistle?"

This was another fine game, in which Freddie got upon a pile of lumber
and pretended it was a steamboat, while on the ground, down below, the
watchman made a noise like a whistle, and pretended to put wood on the
make-believe fire to send the steamboat along.

"No, I don't want to play steamboat," Freddie said. "But this game has a
boat in it. Did you ever build a ship to go sailing in?"

"No, Freddie. I never did. Do you want to play that game?"

"Yes but I want to make a _real_ boat. You see Tommy Todd's father is
lost at sea, and we are going to look for him. So I want to make a ship.
There's lumber enough, I guess."

"I guess there is," said James, looking around at the many piles of
boards in Mr. Bobbsey's yards. "There's enough lumber, Freddie, but I
don't know about making a ship. How big would it have to be?"

"Well, big enough to hold me and Tommy and my sister Flossie and Dinah,
our cook. Dinah's very fat you know, James, and we'll have to make the
ship specially big enough for her. Will you help me?"

"Why yes, I guess so, Freddie. That game will be as good as any to play,
and I can do it sitting down, which is a comfort."

"Oh, but it's going to be a _real_ ship!" declared Freddie. "I've got
the nails to put it together with, and string for the sails. I can use a
stone for a hammer," and he began to look about on the ground for one.

James scratched his head as he saw the bent and crooked nails Freddie
had piled up on a bundle of shingles near by. Then the watchman glanced
at the tangle of string.

"As soon as I find a stone for a hammer we'll start," Freddie said. "You
can get out the boards."

James wanted to be kind and amuse Freddie all he could, for he liked the
little boy. But to pull boards out of the neat piles in Mr. Bobbsey's
lumber yard was not allowed, unless the boards were to be put on a wagon
to be carted off and sold.

"I'll tell you what we'd better do, Freddie," said the watchman at last.

"What?" Freddie asked.

"We'd better make a little ship first. That will be easy and we can
make it like a big one. Then we'll have something to go by--a sort of
pattern, such as your mother uses when she makes a dress for your little
sister."

"Oh yes!" cried Freddie. "That's what we'll do--make a little pattern
ship first. It will be easier."

"Much easier," said James. "Now I'll find some small pieces of board for
you