To see him soberly going through with some adventure which the
sprightly genius of his associates had conceived was as good as a
circus. Naturally such a fellow was called "old" and they called him
Old Rip and Good Old Rip and Doctor Rip and Professor Rip. His name
was Townsend Ripley.

Townsend began at the very beginning to take the irrepressible ex-Raven
very soberly indeed, and the more preposterous Pee-wee's schemes the
more in favor of them Townsend seemed to be. No doubt he got a great
deal of amusement out of Pee-wee. But Pee-wee never knew it.




CHAPTER XI

PLANS

It was quite characteristic of Townsend Ripley that he did not ask Roly
Poly anything about his extraordinary adventure. Amid the chorus of
exclamations and inquiries he preserved a quiet, whimsical demeanor,
glancing about as if rather interested in this desert island. There it
was, and that was enough for him.

"If this island is going to keep moving you'll have to put a license
plate on it, Roly," he drawled. "First thing you know you'll have the
inland waterway inspectors after you. You're blocking up the channel
too. Why didn't you drift down as far as Southbridge where the taxes
aren't so high?"