“Ay, that you can,” said McBain.
Allan laid his hand on Ralph’s shoulder, for the latter was gazing quietly and dreamily firewards.
“What are you thinking about?” said Allan.
Ralph smiled as he made reply.
“I was thinking,” he said, “that our adventures as amateur yachtsmen will not begin and end with cruising among the Western Isles of Scotland, pleasant and romantic enough though that may be. Listen to me, boys. It has been the one dream of my life to be able to be master of a beautiful yacht, and to sail away to far countries, and to see the world in earnest. Now I know I shall have an opportunity of doing so. My good, kind old father will baulk me in nothing that is reasonable; and if, after a few months’ cruising in this boat, I can convince him that I have mastered the rudiments of seamanship, he will, I believe, let me have a real yacht, capable of voyaging to any part of the world!”
“Ah! that would indeed be glorious, boys,” cried Rory, with enthusiasm.
“If we could only arrange it,” said Allan, “so as to all go together.”
“Of course,” said Ralph; “there would not be half the pleasure else. And we would sail to some country, if possible, where Englishmen had never been, or never lived before.”
“To the countries and islands around the Pole, for example,” suggested McBain.
“Yes,” Ralph said; “from all I have read of the Sea of Ice, it seems to me the most fascinating place in the world.”