"Somebody ought to be on board of her," said Fuz, in as anxious a tone as he could assume, "with so many strange people around."
"It isn't safe," added Joe.
"Fact," replied Dab; "but then, I kind o' like to feel a little unsafe."
The Hart boys had a feeling, at that moment, that somehow or other Dab knew why they were so anxious to go on board; and they were right enough, for he was saying to himself, "They can wait. They do look hungry, but they'll live through it. There ain't any cuffs or collars in Ham's locker."
All there was then in the locker was soon out of it, after Mrs. Kinzer and the rest came, for they brought with them the officers of the wrecked bark; and neither Joe nor Fuz had an opportunity to so much as "help distribute" that supply of provisions. Ham went over to see that the distribution should be properly made; while Mrs. Kinzer saw her little patient, with his father and mother, safely stowed on board "The Swallow."
"I'll save that baby, anyhow," she said to Miranda; "and Ford says his father's a farmer. We can find plenty for 'em to do. They'll never see a thing of their baggage, and I guess they hadn't a great deal."
She was just the woman to guess correctly about such a matter.
At that moment Dabney was saying to Annie Foster,—
"Whom do you guess I've seen to-day?"
"I can't guess. Who was it?"