og!" said Merriwell, speaking to Bruce and those
near. "I have been hoping it would hold off until we reach New York, but
it isn't going to."

"I'd rather be in a ship that has fits now and then, than to be stuck in
a fog-bank!" Bink declared. "I guess that New Haven boatman was a
prophet, after all."

The _Merry Seas_ was a steamer running on a somewhat irregular schedule
to New Haven and New London, and back to the great metropolis by the sea
route along the ocean side of Long Island, touching at one or two Long
Island points.

Merriwell's friends had decided on a steamer voyage to New York and back
as a change from the usual work and athletics at Yale. Not that they
were tired of either. But nothing of signal importance was on the
program to detain them in New Haven, and they were away, therefore, for
this short trip by boat.

The ordinary Sound route between New Haven and New York was familiar
ground to every member of the party, and something new was desired.
Hence they had taken the _Merry Seas_, which had steamed to New London,
and out to sea between Block Island and Montauk Point, and had then laid
her course down the Long Island coast for New York harbor.

Inza laughed at Bink's lugubrious declaration. Gamp was laughing, too.

"If we get stuck in a fog, we can have Joe Gamp yell a few times for us.
That will do for a fog-horn."

"Then the _Merry Seas_ will have fits, sure enough!" said Bink.

Gamp looked serious.

"Well, honest, now, that dud-dud-don't sus-sound so funny to mum-me as
it dud-does to you. Owned a cuc-cuc-carf once, that was pup-prancing
raound in the med-der pup-pup-pasture, and I gug-got so tickled that I
just sus-set daown and hollered. Goshfry! you wouldn't believe it,
bub-bub-but that cuc-carf fell over dead's a stun wall!"

"Gave it heart-disease, of course!" Bink gravely observed. "Not to be
wondered at."

"I'm just tut-tut-telling this story as a warning tut-to you!" Joe
solemnly observed. "The hoss dud-dud-doctor said that the pup-poor
thing's head was weak. Sus-so when we get into a fuf-fog and I begug-gin
to holler, bub-bub-better pup-put cotton into your ears, Binky!"

Stubbs fell back into Danny's arms.

"Ar-r-r-r!" he gurgled. "I've got 'em now. Fits!"

"I'll give you fits, if you don't stop tumbling over against me!" Danny
howled, giving Bink a push that landed him in Browning's lap. Everybody
laughed, and Merriwell and his companions walked on round the steamer's