hour later, it will be two bells-- one o'clock. You see, every half
hour is rung."

"Worse and worse!" protested Mollie. "What time is it at two o'clock?"

"Four bells," answered Betty, promptly. "Why, I thought four bells was
four o'clock," spoke Grace.

"No, eight bells is four o'clock in the after-noon, and also four
o'clock in the morning. Then it starts over again with one bell, which
would be half-past four; two bells, five; three hells, half-past five,
and---- "

"Oh, stop! stop! you make my head ache!" cried Grace, "Has anyone a
chocolate cream?"

They all laughed.

"You'll soon understand it," said Betty.

"It's worse than remembering to turn the steering wheel the opposite
way you want to go," objected Mollie. "But we are young-- we may learn
in time."

The Gem was all ready to start, and the girls, reaching Mollie's
house, in the rear of which, at a river dock, the boat was tied, went
aboard.

"Have you enough gasoline?" asked Amy, as she helped Betty loosen the
mooring ropes.