tical skill to build one. They have
acted as engineers and firemen of the yacht; and every one of them is
competent to run a marine engine, or any other."

"Those were the young fellows that were pulling your boats that day,
were they not?" asked Dory.

"They were, Theodore. The only men I employ on board are the cook and a
waiter, but I have required every one of these young men to learn to do
plain cooking. All of them have served a term in the galley. I am
captain, and Jepson is the first officer, of the Sylph. I have taught
these students how a vessel or a boat is built, how to sail a boat or a
ship; I have instructed them in navigation, and required them to get the
latitude and longitude of every principal point on the lake; I have
taught them how to heave the log, and keep a vessel's dead reckoning; I
have required them to survey portions of the lake, and make charts of
their work. They have been greatly interested, and they have profited by
their opportunities. Not one of them has rich parents, and all of them
must soon earn their own living; and you may be sure that not one of
them will be a shopkeeper, a lawyer, a doctor, or a minister."

"I should say that was first-rate," added Dory, with enthusiasm. "I
suppose some of them will be sailors."

"About half of them have a desire to go to sea, and some of them have
got places as engineers, oilers, and firemen. Two of them will run
stationary engines. I have done with them; for most of them were obliged
to go to work, and take care of themselves."

"Won't they go in the Sylph any more?" asked Dory.

"I have done all I could for them, and so has Jepson. So far as our
teaching facilities are concerned, they have learned out. My new scheme
contemplates doing the same work in a more thorough and practical
manner. The trouble with my past crew was, that I did not have them more
than one day in a week; though we occasionally put in a week at a time
in vacation, as at the time when I went down the lake to find you. That
was their last cruise; and they were discharged, so to speak, two weeks
ago."

"Are you going to ship another crew like that, uncle Royal?" inquired
Dory eagerly.

"Not as I did the last one. I am going to establish a sort of practical
school," replied the captain.

"I should like to ship for one," added Dory.

"I have had my eye on the members of the Goldwing Club, for they are
just the boys I desire to take. I don't want any sons of rich men