"Well, if I were you I wouldn't come so far away from where I left my
horse and wagon," cautioned Mr. Bobbsey, for the place where the boat
was tied was a long distance from the main road leading from Lakeport
to Lemby.

"I didn't come in a wagon," said the boy. "I walked."

"What! You don't mean to say you walked all the way from Lemby to
Lakeport?" exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey, who had now come up on deck.

"Yes'm, I did," answered the boy. "Mr. Hardee said he needed the
horses to work on the farm. He said I was young, and the walk would do
me good. So Mrs. Hardee, she gave me some bread and butter for my
lunch, and I walked. I'm walking back now, and I came this way by the
lake. It's a short cut.

"Then I happened to see this boat here. I like boats, so I thought it
wouldn't hurt to come on board."

"Oh, no, that's all right!" said Mr. Bobbsey quickly. "I'll be glad to
have you look around, though this is only a houseboat, and not built
for ocean travel. So you work for Mr. Hardee, eh? What's your name?"

"Will Watson," the boy said. Mrs. Bobbsey was trying to motion to her
husband to come toward her. It seemed as though she wanted to say
something to him privately.

"Will Watson, eh?" went on Mr. Bobbsey. "I don't seem to know any
family of that name around here."