“We’ll play dry-dock,” he suggested now. “Put our ships up for repairs, you know. Come on, Ellen, you can help build the dry-dock.”
Sunny Boy had seen pictures of the great dry-docks where ships were sent to be repaired and painted, and he really had a very clear idea of how they were used. Naturally, he wasn’t so sure how they were built, but together he and Ralph and Ellen made an arrangement of sticks that looked very imposing, and into which they fitted the Frolic and The Billow with some difficulty.
“I think we’ll take ’em out for another sail,” said Sunny Boy, after the dry-dock was pronounced finished. “And perhaps we’ll have a wreck. You stay on shore and signal to us, Ellen.”
“Then we’ll come in and go into dry-dock for repairs! That will be fun,” agreed Ralph. “Come on, let’s have a big wreck.”
But before they could have a wreck, Ellen called them.
“Look what I’ve found!” she cried.
The boys waded back and tied their ships to a cable that held a half-sunken scow. Ellen had captured a butterfly, yellow with black spots, and they watched it flutter its beautiful wings in her hands. It didn’t seem to want to fly away.
“Perhaps he is a tame butterfly,” suggested Sunny Boy. “Let’s give him a sail on The Billow.”
He straightened up and looked out to where he had left his boat, gently rocking on the water. Only Ralph’s Frolic was still tied, and The Billow was drifting out to sea.
“Ralph!” gasped Sunny Boy. “Look! My boat’s untied!”