arly over. Bob left Fairport first. He and
his family went home in his father's automobile. They camped out every
night. The camping tents and the pots and pans were strapped on the
back of the automobile. They rode all day. They went over hills, through
valleys, and into cities.
One day they passed a flower farm. "Oh, Mother," begged Bob, "May I stop
and buy some flowers?" "Why, Bob," said his mother, "What do you want
with flowers? We haven't any room for them in the automobile."
"I don't want them to take home," said Bob, "I want to send them by the
postman to Captain John. They are for the _Sea Gull_."
So the automobile stopped and Bob spent his birthday money at the
flower farm. The next day the parcel post brought Captain John a box of
spring bulbs and fall plants. With them was a card in Bob's very best
writing:
[Illustration: Handwritten: To Captain John's Pet
The "Sea Gull"
from
B. J.
Guess who this is.]
Paul stayed in Fairport a week after Bob had left.
He was not lonely, for his daddy had come. Paul and his daddy were
great friends. They went around together like two chums.
The day before Daddy's week was up they went out for a long sail. Mrs.
Ray was afraid to go, but Paul was not. He felt very big and brave. With
Daddy to sail the boat everything would be all right. The sun shone, the
wind blew, and away they started. The boat seemed to skim along as
lightly as a sea gull.
At last they landed on a little island. Paul helped his daddy gather
sticks and build a fire. Mr. Ray put four ears of corn under the wood.
Paul thought they would burn up, but they didn't. The husks covered
them. Next Mr. Ray put a pan on the fire and fried some bacon and some
potatoes. Paul unpacked a basket of sandwiches, and by that time
everything was ready. They had no plates and no napkins. They ate with
their fingers, in just the way little boys sometimes wish to do and
mustn't, when they are at the table.
Daddy told stories of camping and hunting as they sat by the fire.
Time passed very quickly. It was four o'clock before they knew it.
[Illustration]
"All aboard," cried Mr. Ray, and in a very few minutes the lunch things
were packed up and they were in the boat. At first the sails filled and
the boat moved swiftly on. But suddenly the sky grew dark. Great claps
of thunder were heard. Lightning played all around the boat. The wind
blew fiercely. The waves dashed so high that the boat was alm
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