Laura called to Purt in the other boat: “Never mind, Mr. Sweet, I don’t think you’ll be troubled with that dog any more. It’s twenty miles to Lake Dunkirk. He will never follow you that far.”
“I bet the Barnacle haunts Purt in his dreams,” exclaimed Bobby.
“Oh! say not so!” begged Billy Long. “If Purt has the nightmare and draws that ‘family friend,’ the faithful revolver, on the ghost of the dog—Good-night! Like enough he’ll blow us all out of the tent.”
“I bet that Barnacle dogs his ‘feetsteps’ for the rest of Purt’s mortal existence,” declared Chet, prophetically.
“One thing,” said Lil Pendleton, “the nasty beast can’t follow us to Acorn Island.” 86
“And we won’t get there ourselves to-day, if we don’t hurry,” Chet said. “Come on, Pretty! let’s see what your little Duchess can do,” and he speeded up the engine of the Bonnie Lass.
“We have some distance to go, that’s a fact,” said Nellie. “The island is two miles beyond the end of Rocky River.”
The bigger powerboat pulled away from the Duchess and the two parties ceased shouting back and forth. Mrs. Morse was trying to get a nap, so the girls did not sing. But they told jokes and stories, and of course Bobby gave one of her jingles:
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“‘There was an old man of Nantasket Who went to sea in a basket: When up came a shark, Swallowed him and his bark–– Now, wasn’t that a fine funeral casket?’” |
“Oh! I can beat that one,” cried Jess.