Bob did not like any allusion to this delicate subject.
“I was too late,” he said abruptly, changing the conversation at once. “How are you going off to the cutter, I see she has got the dinghy towing behind, eh?”
“P’r’aps I’m a-going to swim out to her,” replied Dick, with a grin. “What say you to that, Master Bob, hey?”
“If you do, I will too,” retorted Bob; “although I’ve had my dip already, and very lonesome it was. Why didn’t you come down this morning?”
“I sang out to you jist now, sir, as how I had to take a letter for the Cap’en, who told me as he didn’t think you’d have time to bathe afore starting for the steamer.”
“I thought I had—and missed it!” said Bob ruefully. “But you’re not going really to swim out to the cutter now, Dick, eh?”
“No, no, Master Bob,” cried Dick, his grin expanding into a laugh. “I were only a-joking. There’s a waterman just shoving down his wherry as will put us off to her. Hi, ahoy, there!”
“Hi, hullo!” also shouted out Bob; but the two only succeeded in ultimately attracting the attention of old Barney the boatman, who was rather deaf, and required a deal of hallooing before noticing any one, by setting on Rover with a “Hi, catch him, sir!”
This rather exasperated old Barney at first. However, after some violent explanations they were grudgingly given a passage out to the anchored yacht, Barney grumbling at doing it for nothing!
Rover was not included in the bargain; for, he disdained adventuring his valuable person in a small row-boat, no inducement being ever strong enough to persuade him so to do. He was quite satisfied to swim out after the boys had started off in the wherry, being lugged subsequently on board the cutter by his legs and tail as soon as they fetched alongside.