snug harbor, please Mr. Stinson, and I will see
that you lose nothing by the delay."

"That is all right, Madam. I only wish I could join your cruise for
all its length. I'm sure you're bound to have a grand trip, despite
the bad beginning--which should bring the proverbial good ending."

"I wish you could. Oh! I do wish you could," said Aunt Betty. She was
somewhat surprised to find the engineer a man of culture, but was
delighted by the fact. She felt that the presence of such a man would
keep her three boys straight, for she was a little afraid of "pranks"
should they indulge in any.

She had hoped, too, to make the most of their trip up and down the
Severn, with which lovely river her earliest memories lingered.
However, they were not to reach it yet. The friendly wind forsook them
and both Cap'n Jack and Mr. Stinson felt that it would be wise to
enter a little bay further north; and making their slow way between
some islands come to anchor on the shores of the Magothy.

"The Maggotty! That's where the best cantaloupes come from!" cried
Mabel. "Who'll buy my fine wattymillyouns, growed on de Maggotty, down
in An'erunnel! Wattymillyouns! Cant-e-lopes! Oh! I want one this
minute!"

"What a dreadful name for a river! Who'd eat melons full of maggots!"
demanded Aurora, with a little shiver. Evidently, though she must
often have heard them, she had paid scant attention to the cries of
the negro hucksters through her own city's streets.

"It isn't 'Maggotty' but 'Magothy'," explained Dorothy. "I used to
think just as you do until I learned better. I'm bad as Mabel. I just
can't wait. I must have a 'cantaloupe' for supper, I must! Scooped out
and filled with ice--sweet and juicy----"

"Hold on! Hold on! Wait till I fetch it!" returned Gerald, with a
smack of his own lips. Then leaving the others to follow as they chose
he ran to the stern of the tender which the men had brought close to a
grassy bank, and leaped ashore.

"Wheah's he gwine at?" demanded Ephraim, who had been in the way and
unceremoniously pushed aside.

"Wattymillyouns!" yelled Jim, following the other boy's lead.

"Wattymillyouns? Wat-ty-mill-youns? My hea't o' grace! I'se done gwine
get some fo' my Miss Betty!"

"For yo'se'f you-all means, yo' po' triflin' ornery ole niggah! Ain't
it de trufe?" laughed Chloe, coming to the old man's side, and laying
a restraining hand upon his shoulder, while all her white teeth showed
in a wide grin.

Sa