“Isn’t it just as far around the world as it always was?” asked Billy, looking first at Mr. Prescott, then at his Uncle John, and then back at Mr. Prescott.
“It’s of no use, Billy,” said Dr. Crandon, “to expect this man to tell us anything straight out. He’s trying to train our minds. If we’re going around with him, we shall have to submit to indirect methods of obtaining information.”
“If you’ll excuse me, Crandon,” said Mr. Prescott, “I’m not sure that Billy won’t learn as fast by my ‘indirect methods’ as he will by the kind of words that you are using.”
“Even, I think,” said Dr. Crandon.
Then the three men smiled, each in his own way.
Billy didn’t smile. All his best heroes seemed to be showing “disagreeable spots” at the same time.
But Billy had only a minute of thinking that, for Dr. Crandon said, in his most friendly tone:
“I think I know what he’s driving at, so I’ll lend you a hand. It would take a long time to sail around the world, wouldn’t it?”
“Sure,” answered Billy, quite like himself.
“But, if we were to start in an automobile, and drive to a train that would take us to San Francisco——”