"Faith an' he's sore," Jimmie grinned.
"Someone step on his pet corn?" Jack asked.
"It's not that. He wanted for to go ashore an' the old man wouldn't let him."
"Didn't he kick?"
"I'll say he did, but sure an' it didn't get him inywhere at all. The old man jest told him thot if he went he could take his duds with him an' not come back, an' he didn't say iny mare at all."
It was the first time the boys had seen "The Big Ditch" and they were intensely interested during every moment of the trip through.
"Just think, Jack," Bob said, leaning on the rail and watching the shore line slip slowly past, "if it wasn't for this canal we'd have to go away down round South America. This ditch saves us thousands of miles."
"You talk as though it was dug for your special benefit," Jack laughed.
"Well, I reckon it was dug as much for my benefit as for anyone's," Bob retorted.
"Well, it's sure some job."