"By water! Home by water!" repeated Mr. Long, doubtfully.

"Yes," said Captain Corbet; "an bein as the schewner was in good
repair, an corked, an coal-tarred, an whitewashed up fust rate, I
kine o' thought it would redound to our mootooil benefit if we went
off on sich a excursion,--bein pleasanter, cheaper, comfortabler,
an every way preferable to a land tower."

"Hem," said Dr. Porter, looking uneasily about. "I don't altogether
like it. Boys, what does it all mean?"

Thus appealed to, Bart became spokesman for the boys.

"Why, sir," said he, "we thought we'd like to go home by water--
that's all."

"Go home by water!" repeated the doctor once more, with a curious
smile.

"Yes, sir."

"What? by the Bay of Fundy?"

"Yes, sir."

"Who are going?"

"Well, sir, there are only a few of us. Bruce, and Arthur, and
Tom, and Phil, and Pat, besides myself."