I am going to buy a boat here. I think we can get one of the boats from
some of these vessels to set us ashore."

The nearest vessel was hailed, and it did not take long to get a sailor
with a boat to come over to the yacht and take Frank and Jack off. He
rowed them to the steamboat wharf, and would not take a cent for doing
so.

"All right, mates," he said, in a hearty way. "I'll want a turn
sometime, perhaps." Then, after telling them that, if they did not get a
boat, they could whistle him up and he would bring them off to their
yacht, he rowed away.

There were a number of truck teams about the wharf, loading with the
freight left there that morning by the steamer. Frank inquired of one of
the truckmen where to find a man who would sell them a first-class
rowboat, and the truckman directed him to a man who had boats to let and
to sell.

This man the boys sought without delay, but he was not at his shop. They
were told that he had gone uptown, and so they walked up Sea Street into
the heart of the city.

As they came out on Main Street, Diamond halted with an exclamation of
astonishment.

"Great Scott!" burst from his lips. "Is this real?"

"Is what real?" asked Frank.

"Do I really see a trolley car running along the street here, or am I
dreaming?"

"Oh, come along!" laughed Frank. "They have trolley cars down in this
country, and I don't think it looks quite as wild and uncivilized as you
expected."

They entered the Thorndike Hotel together, and, just as they passed
through the door, Frank suddenly clutched his friend's arm, giving a
gasp of astonishment himself.

Jack saw Merry was staring toward the flight of stairs. He looked up,
and there on the stairs, descending toward them, were two girls, Inza
Burrage and Paula Benjamin!

Merriwell recovered his composure immediately and stepped forward to
meet the girls at the foot of the stairs, accompanied by Diamond. The
boys lifted their hats, and Frank said:

"Another unexpected pleasure! We didn't dream of this. Supposed you were
in Bar Harbor."

The girls shook hands with them, and both seemed to show confusion.

"It is a pleasure," declared Inza. "We are stopping here in Rockland a
few days."

Frank longed to ask questions, but he knew it would be an act of
rudeness, and he refrained. However, Paula seemed to think that Inza's
explanation was not sufficient, and she added:

"Yes, we decided to stop off here a day, and we are so interested w