days to get a drop in her bilges,” Mr. Wing hastened to assure her.

“What in the world could be the advantage of it taking days to get a drop in the bilges, and what did bilges have to do with life preservers, and what were bilges anyway?” thought Aunt Min. But she only said, “Well, that is very nice, I am sure.”

Mabel had been explaining to her young guests that Mr. Wing was taking the boat out a little short-handed because he wanted all of them to learn something about sailing. “Daddy says it is exactly twice as much fun if every man on board has some little work to do. I adore steering by a point of land, but I just can’t bear to do it by the compass.”

“Much as I hate to tell Aunt Min good-bye, I wish we would shove off. I am wild to see it on the inside.” Jane’s black eyes snapped at the prospect.

Soon the young people were seated in the dancing tender and, with many good-byes to Aunt Min, they scooted through the sparkling stretch of water that lay between them and the “Boojum.”

“Mabel, how in the world do you ever get over the side and up on deck?” asked Ellen uneasily.

“She is falling off a lot, I think,” defended Charlie.

“Goose, I didn’t mean that. I mean, how does anybody do it?”

“You see there is a little ladder that they hook on the side whenever people want to get off or on and when it isn’t being used, it is kept on deck,” Mabel explained.

Two men in spotless blue denim work suits appeared on the deck as Mabel finished speaking and lowered the sea ladder over the side of the “Boojum.”

“Jane, you go first,” whispered Ellen.

“The water is perfectly flat today, but there will be days when it won’t be, so you might just as well begin by being careful,” explained Mr. Wing. “Step in the middle of the boat, grab hold of the sides of the ladder and step up as lightly as you can because, if you give much of a spring from the tender, it is liable to push us away from the ‘Boojum’.”

“It is nice to know that I have you in my power,” Jane laughed.

However, Jane did not take advantage of her new found power but made an impressive embarkation on the “Boojum.” Her sureness and quickness won a gleam of approbation from the keen gray eyes of the bronzed young sailor, who had offered her a hand, which she smilingly refused.

“Pretty good for a land-lubber, Jane,” applauded Mr. Wing. “Now, Ellen, see if you can do as well.”

“Ellen, you are so light, you couldn’t push us away to save your soul,” said Jack rather proudly.

“And I just bounce up from long practice,” giggled Mabel.

With all of them safe on deck, Mr. Wing gave a few orders to the two men, telling the short Dutchman to serve lunch as soon as it was ready and the young sailor to haul the tender up in the davits. “And Jack, you better help Breck. Sorry to put you to work so soon.”

Mr. Wing led the way down the companion into the saloon. “I hope Mabel can make you fairly comfortable, girls. You will feel a bit cramped at first, but most people soon accustom themselves to it. She is very compact and it really is just a matter of adjusting yourself to a smaller scale. Now I must go above and see that we get under way. Charlie, Mabel tells me you have been cruising before and I’m going to depend a lot on you. As soon as you stow your duds, come up and help Breck and me with the sails.”

“I’m a peach of a crew, I’ll admit,” and Charlie chanted:

“What delicious nonsense! What is it?” queried Ellen.

“Mabel, you explain, I’ve got to go, for the ‘Boojum’s’ piped all hands on deck,” and Charlie scrambled up the companion.

“Your education has been neglected if you don’t know Lewis Carroll’s ‘Hunting of the Snark.’ Why, you do, don’t you, Plain Jane?” demanded Mabel.

“Brought up on it,” answered Jane. “Must I prove it?”

Suddenly the brown curtains before one of the bunks that were on each side of the saloon were flung aside, and Frances Bliss poked out a tousled head and started,

“Plain Jane and Ellen, I am just as glad to see you as though you hadn’t waked me up. Come, salute me.”

Both girls made a dash for their disheveled friend.

“Well, get out of Daddy’s bunk and tell Ellen the tragedy of the Snark while I take Jane into your little stateroom and show her where she can scrouge in her clothes,” commanded Mabel.

Frances crawled out of the bunk and began, “Well, my poor little ignorant friend, it is this way: The Snark was a fabulous creature of great value, so great in fact that a band of worthy gentlemen set out to catch it. This band was headed by the noble Bellman who was much respected by the others. One of these gentlemen was a Baker and was unfortunate enough to vanish in thin air after the Snark was caught, because it proved to be a Boojum. Now it is all nice and clear, isn’t it, my priceless child?”

“About as clear as mud,” laughed Ellen. “I’ll get a copy and read it so I’ll know what you lunatics are talking about. Anyway, I’m glad I know where Mr. Wing got that ridiculous name for this lovely boat.”

Mabel had taken Jane into a tiny stateroom with two narrow little bunks, one over the other.

“The lockers are under the lower bunk and you can put your rough clothes in there. Bring your suit and hat into my cabin and I will put them in my closet. Ellen and I are in the ‘Skipper’s cabin.’ It has a double bunk that folds up against the side of the cabin and has the only full length closet in the ‘Boojum.’ Consequently, the whole bunch will have to keep their good clothes in it,” said Mabel. “And now, if you and Ellen are ready, let’s go up on deck and maybe we can pick up some dope on how to put up the sails.”

The four girls ran up the companion, the two newcomers giving their heads a terrific bump on the main boom.

“Mabel, you horrible creature, why didn’t you tell us to duck?” wailed Jane, holding