“Jing! Golly! Hooray!” burst from the young explorers; and they would have dashed off into bolder investigation of this new discovery, but Captain Jeb’s sudden trumpet tone withheld them.
“Stop,—stop thar, younkers! Didn’t I tell you this warn’t no play-place? How far and how deep these caves stretch only the Lord knows; for the sea is knawing them deeper and wider every year. And thar’s holes and quicksands that would suck you down quicker than that whale in the Good Book swallowed Jonah. And more than that: in three hours from now these here rocks whar we are standing will be biling with high tide. This ain’t no play-place! I’m showing it to you so you’ll know; for thar ain’t no reefs and shoals to easy things here. It’s deep sea soundings that no line can reach, this nor’east shore. Them waves hev a clean sweep of three thousand miles before they break here. And thar ain’t to be no ducking nor swimming nor monkey shining around here unless me or Neb is on watch. Neb ain’t much good for navigating since he got that hit with the marline spike, but for a watch on ship or shore he is all right. So them ‘orders’ is all I hev to give: the Padre, being a bit nervous, may hev some of his own; but thar ain’t nothing to hurt four strapping younkers round Killykinick except right here. And now, I reckon, it’s about time for dinner. I’m ready for some of Neb’s clam-chowder, I know; and I guess you are, too.”
“Jing! but this is a great place of yours, Freddy!” said Dan, as they turned back to the ship house. “We could not have found a better.”
“That’s all you know,” scoffed the lordly Dud. “I mean to keep on the right side of the old duffer,” he added sotto voce, “and get over to Beach Cliff in that tub of his whenever I can. Minnie Foster asked me to come; they’ve taken a fine house down on the shore, and have all sorts of fun—dances, picnics, boat races. I’ll get sick of things here pretty soon; won’t you, Jim?”
“I don’t know about that,” was the lazy answer. “About as good a place to loaf as you’ll find.”
“Loaf?” put in Dan. “There isn’t going to be any loafing at Killykinick for me. I’m for boating and fishing and clamming and digging up those garden beds. I don’t know what those others are paying,” said Dan, who had fallen behind with Captain Jeb; “but I’ve got no money, and am ready to earn my board and keep.”
“You are?” said the Captain, in surprise. “As I took it, the Padre bunched you all together for as fair a figure as I could ask.”
“Not me,” replied Dan. “These other chaps are plutes, and can pay their own way; so cut me out of your figures and let me work for myself.”
“Well, that’s sort of curious talk for a younker with a high-class schooling,” said Captain Jeb, dubiously. “You mean you want to hire out?”
“Yes,” said Dan, remembering Aunt Winnie and how doubtful his claim was upon St. Andrew’s.