They landed in a little cove on the beach adjoining the Government
reservation. Jed declared it a good place to make a fire, as it
was sheltered from the wind. He anchored the boat at the edge of
the channel and then, pulling up the tops of his long-legged rubber
boots, carried his passenger ashore. Another trip or two landed
the kettle, the materials for the chowder and the lunch baskets.
Jed looked at the heap on the beach and then off at the boat.

"Now," he said, slowly, "the question is what have I left aboard
that I ought to have fetched ashore and what have I fetched here
that ought to be left there? . . . Hum. . . . I wonder."

"What makes you think you've done anything like that, Uncle Jed?"
asked Barbara.

"Eh? . . . Oh, I don't think it, I know it. I've boarded with
myself for forty-five year and I know if there's anything I can get
cross-eyed I'll do it. Just as likely as not I've made the bucket
of clams fast to that rope out yonder and hove it overboard, and
pretty soon you'll see me tryin' to make chowder out of the
anchor. . . . Ah hum. . . well. . . .

'As numberless as the sands on the seashore,
As numberless as the sands on the shore,
Oh, what a sight 'twill be, when the ransomed host we see,
As numberless as--'

Well, what do you say? Shall we heave ahead for the place where
Uncle Sam's birds are goin' to nest--his two-legged birds, I mean?"

They walked up the beach a little way, then turned inland, climbed
a dune covered with beachgrass and emerged upon the flat meadows
which would soon be the flying field. They walked about among the
sheds, the frames of the barracks, and inspected the office
building from outside. There were gangs of workmen, carpenters,
plumbers and shovelers, but almost no uniforms. Barbara was
disappointed.

"But there ARE soldiers here," she declared. "Mamma said there
were, officer soldiers, you know."

"I cal'late there ain't very many yet," explained her companion.
"Only the few that's in charge, I guess likely. By and by there'll
be enough, officers and men both, but now there's only carpenters
and such."

"But there are SOME officer ones--" insisted Babbie. "I wonder--
Oh, see, Uncle Jed, through that window--see, aren't those
soldiers? They've got on soldier clothes."

Jed presumed likely that they were. Barbara nodded, sagely. "And
they're officers, too," she said, "I'm sure they are because
they're in the