l to handle a small craft.

A knowledge of such disasters, one of which I witnessed, consoled me
somewhat when I saw Phil Adams skimming over the water in a spanking
breeze with every stitch of canvas set. There were few better yachtsmen
than Phil Adams. He usually went sailing alone, for both Langdon and
Binny Wallace were under the same restrictions I was.

Not long after the purchase of the boat, we planned an excursion to
Sandpeep Island, the last of the islands in the harbor. We purposed to
start early in the morning, and return with the tide in the moonlight.
Our only difficulty was to obtain a whole day's exemption from school,
the customary half-holiday not being long enough for our picnic.
Somehow, we could not work it; but fortune arranged it for us. I may
say here, that, whatever else I did, I never played truant ("hookey" we
called it) in my life.

One afternoon the four owners of the Dolphin exchanged significant
glances when Mr. Grimshaw announced from the desk that there would be
no school the following day, he having just received intelligence of the
death of his uncle in Boston. I was sincerely attached to Mr. Grimshaw,
but I am afraid that the death of his uncle did not affect me as it
ought to have done.

We were up before sunrise the next morning, in order to take advantage
of the flood-tide, which waits for no man. Our preparations for the
cruise were made the previous evening. In the way of eatables and
drinkables, we had stored in the stern of the Dolphin a generous bag
of hard-tack (for the chowder), a piece of pork to fry the cunners in,
three gigantic apple pies (bought at Pettingil's), half a dozen lemons,
and a keg of spring water--the last-named articles were slung over the
side, to keep it cool, as soon as we got under way. The crockery and
the bricks for our camp-stove we placed in the bows with the groceries,
which included sugar, pepper, salt, and a bottle of pickles. Phil Adams
contributed to the outfit a small tent of unbleached cotton cloth, under
which we intended to take our nooning.

We unshipped the mast, threw in an extra oar, and were ready to embark.
I do not believe that Christopher Columbus, when he started on his
rather successful voyage of discovery, felt half the responsibility
and importance that weighed upon me as I sat on the middle seat of the
Dolphin, with my oar resting in the rowlock. I wonder if Christopher
Columbus quietly slipped out of the house without let