soon as she felt the breeze after the anchor was atrip. Every indication
was that there was just breeze enough outside the harbor to give them a
pleasant sail to their destination.

Under Frank's orders the boys set sail, hoisting both the jib topsails
and club topsails; in fact, cracking on every stitch. Hans grew weary
again before the mainsail was up.

"Get hold of the halyards and get into gear, Dunnerwust," ordered Bart,
sharply. "You are getting to be as bad as Browning, and he is no earthly
use on the water."

"Hey?" grunted the big fellow, his head appearing as he came up from
below. "Well, what's the use of being any earthly use on the water?
What's the matter with you, Hodge?"

"The matter with you is that you need something for that tired feeling,"
returned Bart, like a flash. "If you would get out and make a bluff at
pulling on a line now and then, it would seem rather more decent."

"I never make any bluffs. Everything is on the level with me. I'm not
much of a sailor, but I'm pretty good at repelling boarders, ducking
bogus sheriffs and such things. Don't worry about me. Just go ahead
getting under way. I'll be with you."

Then he calmly watched them get all the sails set, as if he did not
consider it necessary for him to lend a hand, and as if he had no idea
of doing so on any condition if he could avoid it.

Browning was lazy, and he knew it. He made no attempt to conceal the
fact; really, he almost seemed to glory in it. At college he was
familiarly called, "the Laziest Man on Earth," and it pleased rather
than disturbed him.

Ordinarily a lazy man is despised by his companions, but such was not
the case with Browning. Genial, big-hearted, strong as a giant, yet
gentle as a baby, he made hosts of friends and very few enemies. At one
time he had been really ambitious, but that was before the coming of
Frank Merriwell to Yale. Browning had been dropped to Merriwell's class
and, as there could be but one real leader in the class, he lost his
ambition when Merriwell showed his superiority.

But no man had proved a truer friend to Merriwell than the once famous
"King of the Sophomores." Browning was not particularly demonstrative in
his affection, but he could be depended on in any case of emergency, as
Frank had learned, and the big fellow was a good man to have for a
backer.

Browning could not be driven to do anything, nor could he be jollied
into it, a fact that irritated Hodge more or less.