before dinner had disposed of the lot. From the proceeds of the sale,
Paul purchased a small lantern, which was suspended in the cabin of the
Fawn, for the darkness of that gloomy night was not soon to be
forgotten.

The next day was clear and pleasant, and the boat went down as usual,
and for more than a fortnight, no event worthy of a place in the history
of Paul's fortunes occurred. The new boat worked admirably in every
respect, and the boys were as proud of her as England has ever been of
the Great Eastern. During these two weeks Paul had taken down three
fishing parties, and had given them so good satisfaction, that his
services in this line promised to be in demand. As he received four
dollars a day for her, including the wages of himself and the first
officer, he always welcomed such jobs, and John liked the fun of it even
better than fishing, especially when there were any ladies in the party,
for it was very amusing to him to see them in the agonies of sea
sickness. He took a malicious delight in stowing them away in the
berths in the cabin; yet in spite of the fun he made of them John would
do all he could to assist them.

Just before the arrival of the Fawn in the waters of Bayville harbor,
Paul had been unanimously elected a member of the Tenean Boat Club. He
was very grateful for the honor conferred upon him, but his business was
such that he could not often pull an oar in the boat. The members of the
club all treated him with a great deal of consideration, though they
were all the sons of rich men; and Paul felt that, if he was not their
equal in worldly possessions, he could hold his head up with the best of
them in the management of a boat.

One day, when the young fisherman called at the house of Major Kettle to
sell fish, he met Thomas in the garden, who unfolded to him a
magnificent project in which the Teneans--as the members of the Boat
Club were generally called--were about to engage.

"We think of going on a cruise in the Flyaway," said Thomas.

"Where?"

"I don't know where yet; but we mean to be gone a week or ten days."

"Who is going with you?"

"Captain Littleton, I suppose, though I had just as lief he would stay
at home."

"Of course he wouldn't let a lot of boys go off for a week in the
yacht, without some one to take care of them," said Paul, with a smile.

"We can take care of ourselves; we don't want any one to take care of
us."

"How many of you are going?"

"Ten or t