Cousin Tom's."

Out on the deck of the big Fall River boat they went, and, surely
enough, the light did come from the search-lantern of a big ship not
far away. It was a United States warship, the boys' father told them,
and it was probably kept near Newport, where there is a station at which
young sailors are trained. The warship flashed the light all about the
water, lighting up other boats.

"I thought it was lightning," said Laddie.

"It is a kind of lightning," said Daddy Bunker. "For the light is made
by electricity, and lightning and electricity are the same thing, though
no one has yet been able to use lightning to read by."

Mrs. Bunker, who had left Rose in charge of Margy and Mun Bun, came out
on deck with Violet, and met her husband and the two boys. She was told
about Laddie's thinking the light was from a storm, and laughed with him
over it.

"I'm going to make up a riddle about the search-light to-morrow," said
the little fellow eagerly.

They stayed out on deck a while longer, while the boat steamed ahead,
watching the various lights on shore and on other vessels, and
occasionally seeing the glare of the search-beam from the warship. Then,
as it was getting late and the children were tired, Mother Bunker said
they had better go to their beds.

This they did, and they slept soundly all night.