biggest fish." Then he began to bait his hook again.

Just then Paul cried out, "Oh, Oh, Oh!" quickly. Bob turned just in time
to see his prize fish flop out of the can and back into the sea.

"Oh, Oh, Oh!" He was no longer a proud fisherman. He was just a very sad
little boy.

On another day Bob and Paul stopped in front of a little cottage. A man
was in the yard mending a big fish net and they liked to watch him. The
man was a strong young fisherman.

At the door of the cottage sat an old, old man with white hair. A cane
was by his side. He spoke to Bob and Paul and let them come in and sit
on the steps near him. He was the fisherman's father. He was called
Captain John. He had once been a fisherman himself. Now he was too old
to work, but he knew many stories of the sea. Bob and Paul never grew
tired of hearing them. Every day they came to the cottage. Captain John
was always there sitting in the doorway, with his cane by his side. He
was always ready to tell them an exciting true story of the sea.

One day a big gray cat was curled up at Captain John's feet. "Is pussy
your pet, Captain John?" asked Bob. "No, little lad," said the old man.
"She belongs to my daughter. My pet is almost as old as I am. She's a
brave old friend. We have stuck by each other for over fifty years.
We've seen hard times and good times together. And now we are growing
old side by side."

"Will you show her to us, please, Captain John?" said the two little
boys.

"Yes, yes," replied the old man; "come with me." He took his cane and
walking very, very slowly, he took the boys around the cottage to a tiny
garden. There was one spot in the garden that was bright with flowers.

Captain John led them there. "Here she is," he said. "Here's my old
friend, the _Sea Gull_, dressed up in her Sunday clothes."

The boys looked and saw that the _Sea Gull_ was a boat. She was Captain
John's pet--almost as old as he was. She was his brave old friend who
had stuck by him for over fifty years. Now she was too old for the sea
so she had a home in the tiny garden. The flowers that had been planted
in her were her "Sunday clothes."

[Illustration: CAPTAIN JOHN AND THE _SEA GULL_]

"She seems alive to me," said Captain John. "I am glad we can grow old
side by side."

I wish you could hear of all the good times Bob and Paul had at
Fairport. Every day was packed with fun and both little boys grew taller
and very brown.

At last vacation time was ne