"Part of the dictionary, you mean," grumbled Gerald.
Betty was deaf for a moment. "I guess I would rather not be what you boys are, after all, so I'll be a passenger boat, the City of Elizabeth. I'm an ocean liner."
"Oh, that's just like a girl," and Gerald laughed. "An ocean liner on the Great Lakes. Oh, oh!"
"Did you ever get left, smarty Gerald? I tell you, I'm an ocean liner. These signals aren't used on the Great Lakes, only on the ocean. Besides that, if I'm a boat, I want the ocean to sail on. I couldn't think of puddling around in a little bit of water. I'm the finest steamship afloat, and I make regular trips between—oh, I guess London and New York. That will give you some work to do, Billy, because I'll need a steam-tug to pilot me into the harbour every time. You'll make a dear little pilot-boat, you are so chubby."
"Choo—choo—choo! toot—toot—toot!" responded the steam-tug Billy.
"What's the use of making a full set of flags?" remonstrated Gerald. "If we're going to play boat, let's play boat, and pretend we have them all. I've made the 'N—M' flags, that mean 'I'm on fire.'"
"That's what I say," agreed Billy. "I found out that 'P—N' means 'Want a steam-tug,' so I've made two sets of 'P—N' flags, one for you and one for Betty to use. For my own self, the 'Yes' and 'No' flags are all I want. You two better pin your 'Want a steam-tug' flags on; they won't stay stuck. Choo—choo—choo! toot—toot! Here I come puffing around—toot—toot—toot—see my black smoke! Oh, Bet, let's play there came up an awful fog, so we'll have to toot our horns all the time."
"And keep our bells sounding all the while we are at anchor," added Gerald.
When the three boats began making trips, there were collisions and noise. Hero tried in vain to keep out of the way.
"He's a reef; there ought to be a lighthouse on him," suggested Betty.