study astronomy?' The ferryman had not. 'Then half your life is
gone,' said the philosopher. 'Did you ever study philosophy? No?
Then another quarter of your life is gone.' And so on he went,
Belle dear," continued Ed, "until suddenly the boatman interrupted
him with: 'Say, did you ever study swimming?' And the philosopher
admitted that he had not. 'Then,' said the boatman, 'the whole of
your life is gone for this boat is sinking!' So you see, Belle, our
boatman might have given us that little fairy story and charged
accordingly."

"Yes, indeed!" put in Jack. "I think it was the luckiest thing that
you girls came along. And Ben! We must give Ben a banquet or
something fit."

"Ben is a great friend of mine," declared Cora. "I feel we would
all have gone astray but for him. We girls would never have known
enough--"

Then she stopped. She had no idea of telling the boys that they had
followed Jim Peters with the hope of finding the missing ones
whither he would lead them. Bess and Belle also had taken pains not
to betray their story to the boys, for, as Cora said, Jim Peters was
not a man to quarrel with, and the stolen boat was not a matter to
joke about.

"Here comes Nettie!" exclaimed Belle. "I wonder what's her hurry."

"You've got company, miss," the maid said as she came up to the
party walking toward the camp. "Miss Hasting and her brother have
been waiting all evening."