"Who is it, papa?" he asked.
"Why, don't you know me?" asked the voice, this time seeming to come from the door of one of the staterooms.
"No, I don't," returned Ned. "I didn't know there was any boy on board, except myself."
"Nor did I," said a rough man's voice, "What are you doing here, you young rascal? came aboard to steal, did you?"
"Nothing but my passage, sir; and I'm not doing a bit of harm," replied the boyish voice.
"Oh, I guess I know who you are," laughed Ned. "At least I'm pretty sure you're either Cousin Ronald or brother Max."
At that a loud guffaw right at his ear made the little boy jump with an outcry, "Oh, who was that?"
"Why don't you look and see?" laughed Lucilla.
"Why, it doesn't seem to have been anybody," returned Ned, looking around this way and that. "But I'm not going to be frightened, for I just know it's one or the other of our ventriloquists. Now, good sirs, please let's have some more of it, for it's real fun."
"Not much, I should think, after you are in the secret," said Max.