"I don't know what you mean," she said, turning away from him
to the others. "How far was it that Leander swam?" she asked.

The English captain pointed out two spots on either bank, and
said that the shores of Abydos were a little over that
distance apart.
"As far as that?" said Miss Morris. "How much he must have
cared for her!" She turned to Carlton for an answer.

"I beg your pardon," he said. He was measuring the distance
between the two points with his eyes.

"I said how much he must have cared for her! You wouldn't
swim that far for a girl."

"For a girl!" laughed Carlton, quickly. "I was just thinking I
would do it for fifty dollars."

The English captain gave a hasty glance at the distance he had
pointed out, and then turned to Carlton. "I'll take you," he
said, seriously. "I'll bet you twenty pounds you can't do
it." There was an easy laugh at Carlton's expense, but he only
shook his head and smiled.

"Leave him alone, captain," said the American Secretary. "It
seems to me I remember a story of Mr. Carlton's swimming out
from Navesink to meet an ocean liner. It was about three
miles, and the ocean was rather rough, and when they slowed up
he asked them if it was raining in London when they left.