The next day was Flag Day at Camp Torohadik. In the morning they sailed down to Silver Cove in the Pup, the paint having fulfilled the promise of its maker and dried overnight, and got their flags. There was a nice red-white-and-blue yachting ensign for the stern and an owner’s flag for the bow. The latter consisted of a white ground with a blue Mercury’s foot on it, a design suggested by Roy in allusion to Dick’s prowess on the cinder-path. The poles were each finished off with a brass ball, and when poles and flags were set the Pup looked very gay and jaunty.
Harry, who had been at work spasmodically on the camp banner, produced the completed article that morning, and after their return to the island Roy got busy with a small can of black paint and lettered the long strip of white cotton cloth which Harry had brought with the inscription: CAMP TOROHADIK. Then it was bent to the halyards and with Chub, at popular request, singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” it was hoisted into place and for the rest of their stay flew proudly by day above the camp. (The truth is that it also flew occasionally by night; but it wasn’t supposed to, of course, and any fellow is likely to forget things now and then, and so we won’t mention it save parenthetically.)
Taken all in all, that was a busy and eventful day on Fox Island. For late in the afternoon, shortly after they had returned from a six-mile trip up the river in the Pup (it having been unanimously decided to postpone painting operations until next day) and just as Dick was kindling his fire, there was a hail from the water and they ran to the point to discover Doctor Emery paddling toward them in a canoe. Harry at once decided that she was wanted at home and was busily lamenting her fate when the Doctor announced cheerfully that he had come to visit the camp and take supper. Mrs. Emery, he explained as the boys drew his canoe up on the beach, had gone to the Cove to spend the afternoon and evening, and he had decided to beg hospitality of the campers. The campers declared with enthusiasm that they were awfully glad to see him, and that supper would be ready in about half an hour, and that they were going to have fricasseed beef, and that fricasseed beef was the best thing their chef did, and—oh, lots more besides, every one talking at once! The Doctor could have had no doubt of his welcome. Presently it developed that he was lamentably ignorant of his island, and so he was personally conducted around by Harry and Chub.
“If I owned an island,” said Harry, “I guess I’d know every inch of it! I’d just love to have an island all my own, too! Wouldn’t you, Chub?”
“You bet I would! One away off from everywhere, you know. I’d live on it, and I wouldn’t let any one on it that I didn’t like.”
“Wouldn’t that be lovely!” cried Harry. “Still, you wouldn’t want it so far off that you couldn’t get to the land sometimes, would you? Supposing you needed things to eat?”
“Oh, I’d keep plenty on hand,” answered Chub.
“Well, I think an island like this is pretty nice,” said Harry. “I guess I’d like sometimes to go home at night.” And she stole her hand into her father’s.
“Then you think this one would suit, do you?” asked the Doctor smilingly, and Harry nodded ready assent. When they reached the farther end of the domain Harry pointed out Point Harriet very proudly and the Doctor was properly impressed. Then they kept on past The Grapes, ascended Hood’s Hill, ran down the other side and—came plump upon Billy Noon in the act of jabbing a knife-blade into the lid of a can. His fire was already lighted and a few cooking utensils were scattered around him.