sioned the _Cockatoo_--which, by the
way, was no longer the _Cockatoo_, but the _Adventurer_, having been
renamed during the process of painting--the crew had not been altogether
idle during their wait. Each had thought of something further to add.
Ossie, who, as a special favour, was to be allowed to try his hand at
cooking, had made several trips between a big department store on Fulton
Street and had returned to the basin laden each time with mysterious
packages, many of which rattled or clinked when deposited in the galley.
Perry had purchased an inexpensive talking machine and a dozen records.
Neil had contributed a patent life-preserver that looked like a
waistcoat to be used by an Arctic explorer and was guaranteed to keep
Barnum and Bailey's fat man afloat. Phil had supplied the cabin with
magazines, few of them, to Perry's chagrin, of the sort anyone but a
"highbrow" would care to tackle. Joe, as an after-thought, had stocked
up heavily with Mother Somebody's Cure for Seasickness. George Hanford
had tried to smuggle on board a black and white puppy about a foot long
which he had bought on a street corner for two dollars and a half.
Steve, however, had objected strenuously and Han had been forced to see
the puppy's former owner and sell his purchase back for a dollar, the
value of it having decreased surprisingly in a few hours. Even Steve
had supplemented the boat's contents the day before by stowing two
desperate-looking revolvers and several boxes of cartridges in a locker
in the forward cabin.

Then, too, they had each outfitted more or less elaborately, according
to their pocket-books. Steve and Joe had pointed out that, with seven
aboard, locker room would be at a premium, and had urged the others to
take as little in the way of personal luggage as they could get along
with. But when the out-of-town boys got into the stores the advice was
soon forgotten. Neil had outfitted as if he was about to set forth on a
voyage around the world, and Han was not far behind him. Perry would
have liked, too, to become the proud possessor of some of the things the
former fellows brought aboard, but Perry's finances were low after he
had paid for that talking machine, and so, with the exception of a new
grey sweater, he had made no additions to his wardrobe. This morning he
had volunteered to go to the basin early and superintend the loading of
ice and water, and now, those things aboard, he was wondering, a trifle
resentf