nd
if you are really sure that you want to come, we shall be delighted to
have you. Because, to tell you the truth, I think you are exactly the
man we need."

THE SECOND CHAPTER. GOOD-BYE!

TWO days after that we had all in readiness for our departure.

On this voyage Jip begged so hard to be taken that the Doctor finally
gave in and said he could come. Polynesia and Chee-Chee were the only
other animals to go with us. Dab-Dab was left in charge of the house and
the animal family we were to leave behind.

Of course, as is always the way, at the last moment we kept remembering
things we had forgotten; and when we finally closed the house up and
went down the steps to the road, we were all burdened with armfuls of
odd packages.

Halfway to the river, the Doctor suddenly remembered that he had left
the stock-pot boiling on the kitchen-fire. However, we saw a blackbird
flying by who nested in our garden, and the Doctor asked her to go back
for us and tell Dab-Dab about it.

Down at the river-wall we found a great crowd waiting to see us off.

Standing right near the gang-plank were my mother and father. I hoped
that they would not make a scene, or burst into tears or anything like
that. But as a matter of fact they behaved quite well--for parents. My
mother said something about being sure not to get my feet wet; and my
father just smiled a crooked sort of smile, patted me on the back and
wished me luck. Good-byes are awfully uncomfortable things and I was
glad when it was over and we passed on to the ship.

We were a little surprised not to see Matthew Mugg among the crowd. We
had felt sure that he would be there; and the Doctor had intended to
give him some extra instructions about the food for the animals we had
left at the house.

At last, after much pulling and tugging, we got the anchor up and undid
a lot of mooring-ropes. Then the Curlew began to move gently down the
river with the out-running tide, while the people on the wall cheered
and waved their handkerchiefs.

We bumped into one or two other boats getting out into the stream; and
at one sharp bend in the river we got stuck on a mud bank for a few
minutes. But though the people on the shore seemed to get very excited
at these things, the Doctor did not appear to be disturbed by them in
the least.

"These little accidents will happen in the most carefully regulated
voyages," he said as he leaned over the side and fished for his boots
which ha