way, we missed the noon train, and were afraid, all the way here,
that we'd be too late. Do you two fellows have to sleep in those
'cubby-holes'?"

"Certainly," said I; "they're big enough."

"Don't believe it," said Harry Alden; "they're too short."

"That's so," said Scott, who was rather tall for his age. "Let's try
'em."

This was agreed to on the spot, and all four of the boys took off their
boots and got into the berths, while Rectus and I sat down on the little
bench at the side of the room and laughed at them. Tom Myers and his
brother George both climbed into the top berth at once, and as they
found it was a pretty tight squeeze, they both tried to get out at once,
and down they came on Scott, who was just turning out of the lower
berth,--which was too long for him, in spite of all his talk,--and then
there was a much bigger tussle, all around, than any six boys could make
with comfort in a little room like that.

I hustled Tom Myers and his brother George out into the dining-room, and
the other fellows followed.

"Is this where you eat?" asked Scott, looking up and down at the long
tables, with the swinging shelves above them.

"No, this isn't where they eat," said Harry; "this is where they come to
look at victuals, and get sick at the sight of them."

"Sick!" said I; "not much of it."

But the committee laughed, and didn't seem to agree with me.

"You'll be sick ten minutes after the boat starts," said Scott.

"We wont get into sea-sick water until we're out of the lower bay," I
said. "And this isn't a boat--it's a ship. You fellows know lots!"

Tom Myers and his brother George were trying to find out why the
tumblers and glasses were all stuck into holes in the shelves over the
tables, when Harry Alden sung out:

"What's that swishing?"

"That what?" said I.

"There it goes again!" Harry cried. "Splashing!"

"It's the wheels!" exclaimed Rectus.

"That's so!" cried Scott. "The old thing's off! Rush up! Here! The
hind-stairs! Quick!"

And upstairs to the deck we all went, one on top of another. The wheels
were going around, and the steamer was off!

Already she was quite a distance from the wharf. I suppose the tide
carried her out, as soon as the lines were cast off, for I'm sure the
wheels had not been in motion half a minute before we heard them. But
all that made no difference. We were off.

I never saw four such blank faces as the committee wore, when they saw
the wide space of