the boat be big enough to cross the great sea?"

"Who's going to cross the great sea?" cried Bob. "Of course I
shouldn't. I should only go out about six miles from shore, and keep
close in, so as to land every night to get grub, or anything else.
P'r'aps to go shooting. My father's got an old gun--a fine un. Think I
don't know what I'm about? Shoots hares with it, and fezzans.

"There's another!" he exclaimed, as he hooked and landed an unfortunate
little perch, which he threw into his basket with a look of disgust.
"I'm sick of ketching such miserable little things as these. I want to
get hold of big sea-fish of all kinds, so as to fill the boat. Some
chaps would be glad to go," he said again, as he threw his line in once
more.

"Yes," said Dexter thoughtfully; "I should like to go."

"You!" said Bob, with a mocking laugh. "You! Why, you'd be afraid. I
don't believe you dare go in a boat!"

"Oh yes, I dare," said Dexter stoutly.

"Not you. You're afraid of what the doctor would say. You daren't even
come fishing with me up the river."

"They said I was not to go with you," said Dexter quietly; "so I
couldn't."

"Then what's the use of your saying you'd like to go. You couldn't."

"But I should like to go," said Dexter excitedly.

"Not you. I want a mate as has got some pluck in him. You'd be afraid
to be out all night on the water."

"No, I shouldn't. I should like it."

"Well, I don't know," said Bob dubiously. "I might take you, and I
mightn't. You ain't quite the sort of a chap I should want; and,
besides, you've got to stay where you are and learn lessons. Ho! ho!
ho! what a game, to be obliged to stop indoors every day and learn
lessons! I wonder you ain't ashamed of it."

Dexter's cheeks flushed, and he looked angrily across the river with his
fists clenched, but he said nothing.

"You wouldn't do. You ain't strong enough," said Bob at last.

"I'm as strong as you are."

"But you daren't come."

"I should like to come, but I don't think they'd let me."

"Why, of course they wouldn't, stoopid. You'd have to come away some
night quietly, and get in the boat, and then we'd let her float down the
river, and row right away till morning, and then we could set the sail,
and go just wherever we liked, because we should be our own masters."

"Here's some one coming after you," said Bob, in a low voice; and he
shrank away, leaving Dexter perched up in the crown of the tree, wher