the city during the whole week,
not only among the boys, but among the men who were interested in
yachting. About a dozen yachts had been entered for the race, though
only four of them belonged to the club; those that were not enrolled
being nominally in charge of members, in order to conform to the
regulations. Donald had measured all these boats, and made a schedule of
them, in which appeared the captain's name, the length of the craft,
with the correction to be subtracted from the sailing time in order to
reduce it to standard time. There were columns in the table for the
starting time, the return time, and the sailing time. The "correction"
was virtually the allowance which a large yacht made to a smaller one
for the difference in length.

The club had adopted the regulation of the Dorchester Yacht Club, which
contained a "table of allowance per mile." In this table, a yacht one
hundred and ten feet six inches long, is taken as the standard for
length. The Skylark was just thirty feet long on the water-line, and her
allowance by the table was two minutes forty-three and four tenths
seconds for every mile sailed in a regatta. The Sea Foam's length was
three inches less, and her allowance was one and three tenths seconds
more. Donald had his table all ready for the use of the judges, of whom
he had been appointed the chairman. Mr. Montague's large yacht had been
anchored in the bay, gayly dressed with flags and streamers, to be used
as the judges' boat. The yachts were to start at ten o'clock.

"I don't want to leave my work a bit," said Donald, as he took off his
apron. "I may have to lose a whole day in the race, and I can't afford
it."

"Now, I think you can," replied Kennedy.

"It looks too much like boys' play."

"No matter what it is. If you are going to make a business of building
yachts and sail-boats, it is for your interest to encourage this sort of
thing all you can," added Kennedy.

"I think you are right there," answered Donald, who had not before taken
this view.

"Besides, you ought to see how the boats work. You will get some ideas
that will be of use to you. You should observe every movement of the
boats with the utmost care. I think you will make more money attending
the regattas, if there was one every week, than by working in the shop."

"You are right, Kennedy, and I am glad you expressed your opinions, for
I shall feel that I am not wasting my time."

"Your father has been to Newport a