"Will you take them on board again?" asked the acting skipper.
"I don't know; what do you think?"
"If you don't know, you had better leave it to them," replied Dory. "Hail them, and ask them what they will do."
"I say, girls, are you ready to come on board of the Silver Moon?" called Bissell, in a loud voice, as the sloop passed astern of them.
"No!" screamed the whole of them, almost with one voice. "We are going back to Westport in the barges," added one of them.
"Just as you like," returned Bissell.
"Roll on, silver moon," the girls struck up again, and the boys took up the chorus with enthusiasm.
"That settles it," added Bissell.
"Then we may as well return to the Marian, Paul," said Dory.