"Howde do, gen'men?" he said, with a broad grin on his coal-black face.
"Aleck!" all three cried together; "how are you?"
"Fust-rate, thank yo'. Yo' am looking right smart, too," went on the colored man. And then he began to serve them with the best the place afforded. He loved dearly to talk, but thought the present no time for so doing.
It was a happy family gathering, and all remained at the table a long
time, the boys telling their different tales from beginning to end. Mr.
Anderson Rover was much interested in what they had to say about the
Baxters and Lew Flapp.
"You must be careful," said he. "Arnold Baxter can do you no more harm, but the others will be worse than snakes in the grass."
"We'll watch out," answered Dick, and then he and the others asked about the houseboat which had been taken for debt and how soon they could use the craft.
"You may use the houseboat as soon as you please," said Randolph Rover. "But you must promise your father and Aunt Martha and me not to get into mischief."
"How could we get into mischief with a houseboat?" questioned Tom.
"Why, we just intend to knock around and take it easy all summer."
"The rest ought to do all of you a power of good," came from his father. "I declare, it seems to me you have been on the jump ever since you first went to Putnam Hall."
"Where is the houseboat now?"