ation
of working the new boat sometimes proved to be too much for them.

"Where are the flags, Uncle Ben? We haven't put them up yet," said
Frank.

"Here they are, my boy," replied the old sailor, taking them from the
cushioned seat in the stern-sheets. "The blue silk one, with silver
stars around the letter 'Z,' goes in the bow. You'll find a place for
it there, Tony, and you may put it up. Here is the American flag, and
it goes in the starn. You will find a place for it, Frank; put it
there."

The two boys inserted the end of each staff in the socket prepared for
it, and the breeze spread out the flags to the great delight of the
juvenile boatmen. They made the boat look very gay and jaunty, and
seemed to give the finishing glory to the beautiful craft. The boys
wanted to get into the boat, but Uncle Ben would not permit one of them
to do so; everything must be done in shipshape order.

"Now, Frank, you'll take your place in the starn-sheets, and call off
the numbers," said the instructor. "Don't jump, boys, like you was
goin' to ketch a rabbit, but like you was goin' to the grocery store
for half a pound of tea."

"We will make a funeral gait of it," added Fred Harper.

"Don't you do so; walk nateral, like a Christian, and don't hurry a
bit," said the old sailor. "If you are in such a flurry as you were
yesterday, I cal'late to go ashore with you, and let you cool off for
three days. If you can't keep cool, you can't do nothin'."

"We'll make a funeral of it, Uncle Ben," said Joseph Barton.

"We don't want no funeral on't. Jest be nateral; that's all. We're
goin' through all you larned the other day; and I want you to do it
jest as you study your lessons in school. Call off the numbers, Frank."

"One;" and Tony Weston took his place.

"Two;" and Ned Graham took his seat.

All the numbers were called, and all the crew were then in their
places. Ben had a card in his hand on which Fred Harper had written the
name of every boy against his number, so that the old sailor could
learn whom he had in the boat.

"Now, youngsters, look on your thwarts, and you will find a cross on
'em, a small chalk-mark. Stand up, and you will see 'em."

They all obeyed the direction; and they did it very quietly.

"Good, boys! You did that very well, and none of you didn't fall
overboard. You see the chalk-marks; and they are not in the middle of
the thwart, but half-way between the middle and the gunwale. Set down
on the m