"I know it was," said Tommy, with dignity. "But my animals were imitations."
The ex-Pirate was gazing absent-mindedly out of the window over toward the ocean. "Your animals had invitations?" he said presently, recovering himself. "Of course. They all did. The Ark was no promiscuous affair. There was admission by card only. All those that had invitations got in; the others got drowned."
Tommy saw that the ex-Pirate did not quite understand what he had said to him, so he thought it would be wiser to branch out on some other topic, but before he could do so his visitor remarked,
"They had lots of fun in the Ark," and he chuckled to himself.
"How do you know?" asked the little boy.
"The Sheep told me. He was one of the Few Hundred. I should like to have been on board too."
"So should I," assented Tommy, eagerly, "especially if they were all as nice as the animals we met the other day."
"It would have been fun to take that trip," continued the ex-Pirate, musingly. "I don't know but that we can, even now, fix it to go on board."
"On board the Ark?" cried Tommy.
"Exactly. We would have to go a long way back through the Ages; but perhaps we can fix that up with old Father Time. He might take us back and let us go aboard."