“No, I guess not,” Freddie agreed, after thinking it over a bit. “I’ve a little fire engine at home,” he went on, “and it squirts real water.”
“And he squirted some on me,” put in Flossie. “On me and my doll.”
“But I didn’t mean to—an’ it was only play,” Freddie explained.
“Yes, it was only in fun, and I didn’t mind very much,” went on the little girl. “My rubber doll—she likes water,” she added, holding out the doll in question for Captain Crane to see.
“That’s good!” he said with a smile. “When we get out on the ocean you can tie a string around her waist, and let her have a swim in the waves.”
“Won’t a shark get her?” Flossie demanded.
“No, I guess sharks don’t like to chew on rubber dolls,” laughed Captain Crane. “Anyhow we’ll try to keep out of their way. But make yourselves at home, folks. I hope you’ll be with me for quite a while, and you may as well get used to the boat. Mr. Dent has sailed in her many times, and he likes the Swallow first rate.”
“Can she go fast?” asked Bert.
“Yes, she can fairly skim over the waves, and that’s why I call her the Swallow,” replied the seaman. “As soon as Mr. Dent heard I was on shore, waiting for some one to hire my boat, he told me not to sail again until you folks came, as you and he were going on a voyage together. I hope you are going?” and he looked at Mr. Bobbsey.
“Yes, we have made up our minds to go,” said the children’s father. “We are going to look for a boy who may be all alone on one of the islands off the Florida coast. We hope we can rescue him.”