ashore.

"Oh, we have those too," laughed Roly; "all the latest improvements.
That's Pee-wee; he's perfectly harmless, step right ashore, you're all
welcome."

"You're stepping into the seventeenth century," Pee-wee shouted,
descending precipitately out of the tree.

"The seventeenth century must have been very wet," said the tall boy as
he lifted one foot out of the water only to plunge the other into the
ragged, muddy edge of the island, in his efforts to get on shore. It
was very funny to see him wallow In the water, seeking foothold on the
submerged tentacles of root, ever slipping, and always with the
soberest look on his face. "This must be the back entrance," he said.
"Where are we supposed to park?"

This tall boy, who turned out to be a sort of patrol leader and
scoutmaster in one, had a kind of whimsical look of inquiry on his face
which was his permanent expression, and which was made the more
humorous by red hair which he wore decidedly pompadour. There was that
in his look which indicated his taking everything as he found it, his
attitude being always quietly humorous and never surprised.

His demeanor, in whatever adventure befell, seemed always that of an
amiable victim placing himself at the mercy of his enterprising
comrades and going through every kind of outlandish escapade and
adventure with a ludicrously sober look on his funny face. To him
everything that happened seemed part of the game of life and he
appeared never in the least astonished at anything.