en through. The grass and trees were
greener and the bay seemed bluer, while the few clouds visible in the
sky were very white and clean, as if all the storms had been washed out
of them. Not a single thing went wrong in Mrs. Kinzer's management of
the "setting out" of the party, and that was half the day now to begin
with. Ford had some trouble in getting Joe and Fuz up so very early, but
an intimation that "Ham Morris wouldn't wait five minutes for the Queen
of England, or even me," was sufficient to rouse them.

"Joe," whispered Fuz, after they got on board, "are we to be gone a
week?"

"Why? What's up?"

"Such piles of provisions as they've stowed away in that kennel!"

The bit of a water-tight cabin under the half-deck, at which Fuz
pointed, was pretty well filled, beyond a doubt, but Mrs. Kinzer knew
what she was about. She had provided lunch for most of that party
before, and the effect of the sea-air was also to be taken into account.

"Dab," said Ford Foster, "you've forgotten to unhitch the 'Jenny.' Here
she is, towing astern."

"That's all right. We may need her. She's too heavy to take on board."

A careful fellow was Mr. Hamilton Morris, and he knew very well the
value of a row-boat to a picnic party. As for Joe and Fuz they were
compelled to overcome a strong inclination to cast the boat loose. Such
a joke it would have been, but Ham was in the way as long as he held the
tiller.

The "Swallow" was "steady" enough to inspire even Annie Foster with a
feeling of confidence, but Ford carefully explained to her the
difference between slipping along over the little waves of the
land-locked bay, and plunging into the great billows of the stormy
Atlantic.

"I prefer this," said Annie.

"But I wouldn't have missed the other for anything," replied Ford.
"Would you, Dick?"

Mr. Richard Lee had taken his full share in the work of starting, and
had made himself singularly useful, but if all the rest had not been so
busy they would have noticed his silence. Hardly a word had he uttered,
that anybody could remember, and, now he was forced to say something,
his mouth opened slowly, as if he had never tried to speak before and
was not quite sure he knew how:

"No,-Mr.-Foster,-I-would-not-have-missed-that-trip-for-a-good-deal."

Every word by itself, and as different from Dick's ordinary talk as a
cut stone is from a rough one. Ham Morris opened his eyes wide, and Ford
puckered up his lips in a sort of a wh