The doctor and Mr. Long both shook their heads. Evidently neither
of them attached any great importance to Captain Corbet's
guardianship.

"Did you tell your father how you were going?" asked the doctor,
after a few further words with Mr. Long.

"O, yes, sir; and he told me I might go. What's more, he promised
to charter a schooner for me to cruise about with Phil and Pat
after I arrived home."

"And we got permission, too," said Bruce.

"Indeed!" said the doctor. "That changes the appearance of things.
I was afraid that it was a whim of your own. And now, one thing
more,--how are you off for provisions?"

"Wal, sir," said Captain Corbet, "I've made my calculations, an I
think I've got enough. What I might fail in, the boys and Solomon
have made up."

"How is it, Solomon?" asked the doctor.

Solomon grinned.

"You sleep in the hold, I see," continued the doctor.

"Yes, sir," said Bruce. "It's whitewashed, and quite sweet now.
We'll only be on board two or three days at the farthest, and so it
really doesn't much matter how we go."