“Not many. Pa doesn’t like to have me. He says they’re all lies anyway, and there’s enough that’s true to read. I’ve read a little. I’ve read most of Scott’s novels and Charles Kingsley and some of the other writers. The last book I read was Defoe’s account of the London plague. I don’t like that very well, do you?”
“I’ve got to see what those boys are up to,” said Bob, suddenly, leaping to his feet as he spoke and moving with unusual quickness away from the place where he had been lying.
“I say, Bob,” said Bert, when their friend joined them, “the next time you catch a weasel asleep, you let me know, will you?”
“I wouldn’t have believed it,” spoke up Ben, quickly. “Here we were thinking we’d get some fun out of this greenhorn, and then he turns round and puts us all in a hole. I wonder if he really has read all those books he says he has?”
“You might examine him and see,” replied Bob, dryly.
“Not much. You don’t catch me that way. Here I was thinking we’d do some missionary work for the poor benighted heathen of the region, and lo and behold, they turn upon us and beat us at our own game. Who would have believed it? I know I shouldn’t, for one.”
“Serves us right. I’ll keep clear of Tom till his ‘pa’ comes back.”
Bob’s sentiments were echoed by his companions, and not one of them ventured to remind the young boatman of the desire to hear him recite Hamlet’s soliloquy. Indeed, they did not venture near the camp until it was almost noon time, and then Ethan and Jock returned with the new “bat-wing sail.” As they had also brought with them letters for each of the boys, the time until dinner was ready was all consumed in reading them, and perhaps no one of them regretted the fact.
After dinner, both Ethan and his son gave their entire attention to the task of teaching the young campers the art of sailing a canoe equipped with a bat-wing sail. Only one of the party was taken out each time by a boatman, and then, after a trial trip, he was allowed to hold the sheet while the boatman occupied the place in the bow which the pupil formerly had held.
In this manner the entire afternoon was consumed, and when they all returned to camp for supper, Ethan declared that he thought it would be safe for the boys to use the canoes, though he advised that no one should venture far from the island, and promised on the following day to repeat the lessons.