I wish you could hear of all the good times Bob and Paul had at Fairport. Every day was packed with fun and both little boys grew taller and very brown.
At last vacation time was nearly over. Bob left Fairport first. He and his family went home in his father's automobile. They camped out every night. The camping tents and the pots and pans were strapped on the back of the automobile. They rode all day. They went over hills, through valleys, and into cities.
One day they passed a flower farm. "Oh, Mother," begged Bob, "May I stop and buy some flowers?" "Why, Bob," said his mother, "What do you want with flowers? We haven't any room for them in the automobile."
"I don't want them to take home," said Bob, "I want to send them by the postman to Captain John. They are for the Sea Gull."
So the automobile stopped and Bob spent his birthday money at the flower farm. The next day the parcel post brought Captain John a box of spring bulbs and fall plants. With them was a card in Bob's very best writing:
+-----------------------+
| To Captain John's Pet |
| The "Sea Gull" |
| from |
| B.J. |
| Guess who this is. |
+-----------------------+
Paul stayed in Fairport a week after Bob had left.
He was not lonely, for his daddy had come. Paul and his daddy were great friends. They went around together like two chums.
The day before Daddy's week was up they went out for a long sail. Mrs. Ray was afraid to go, but Paul was not. He felt very big and brave. With Daddy to sail the boat everything would be all right. The sun shone, the wind blew, and away they started. The boat seemed to skim along as lightly as a sea gull.
At last they landed on a little island. Paul helped his daddy gather sticks and build a fire. Mr. Ray put four ears of corn under the wood. Paul thought they would burn up, but they didn't. The husks covered them. Next Mr. Ray put a pan on the fire and fried some bacon and some potatoes. Paul unpacked a basket of sandwiches, and by that time everything was ready. They had no plates and no napkins. They ate with their fingers, in just the way little boys sometimes wish to do and mustn't, when they are at the table.