ome sport, and then
the first time there's a heavy mist you want to stick around an old
harbour for fear you'll get damp! We've been going two whole days now,
and we haven't even glimpsed an adventure!"

"An adventure is one thing," said Ossie, "and getting drowned is
something else again. Tell you what, Perry; if you are so keen for sport
why don't you slip into the tender and run over to Vineyard Haven
yourself? We'll follow along tomorrow, or maybe this afternoon."

"I want to see this town," said Joe. "There's lots to look at in here.
Whaling ships and a museum and--and lots of romantic things."

"The whaling ships are all gone now," said Perry disdainfully. "They've
chopped them all up and sold them by the cord for fire wood. I know, for
we bought a lot of it once. It cost dad about ten dollars for express
and didn't burn any different from any other wood. My grandmother--"

Steve groaned. "For the love of lemons, Perry, don't resurrect your
grandmother. Let the poor old lady lie."

"She isn't dead," denied Perry indignantly. "She's ninety-one and a heap
smarter than you are."

"Perry," charged Joe severely, "I distinctly remember you telling us
that your grandmother died of sea-sickness."

"I didn't. I told you she ate lemons and--"

"Died of acid stomach? Oh, all right. I knew she was dead."

"Oh, dry up! She ate lemons to keep from being sea-sick, you idiot. And
if you ate them you wouldn't have to lug around a lot of silly medicine
that doesn't amount to a row of pins. And if--"

"All very interesting," interrupted Phil mildly, "but it isn't deciding
whether we're to stay here or go on. Personally, I think that that
should be up to the captain. If he isn't to decide whether the weather
is right or wrong, who is?"

"That's so," agreed several. "Steve's the captain. What you say goes,
Steve."

"Very well. Then we'll stay here until it stops misting, or, at any
rate, until tomorrow. If it's still nasty then and you fellows want to
go on, I'll go. Now let's go ashore and see what's doing."

"O Harry!" called Wink. "We're going to stay until tomorrow. Come
ashore."

In spite of the drizzle they found a good deal to interest them in New
Bedford, and Joe actually did find a whaler, although it was no longer
in commission. At noon, Ossie, having made many purchases in the town,
served a dinner that made the world look a lot brighter. Afterwards the
crews of the two boats exchanged calls, read, dozed, p