John turned quickly upon his tormentor as he said, "That's the thirteenth time I have heard you get off that old joke. You mustn't take him too seriously, Miss Susie," he added, turning to the girl, who was laughing at George 's suggestion. "You know what his nickname is, don't you?"

"No, I cannot say that I do," replied Miss Susie.

"Well, we call him Pop."

"Why?" she inquired.

"Because he's the papa of his country. He is named for George Washington, who is the Father of his Country, but the name doesn't go very far."

"That's all right," spoke up George. "Up yonder where your topknot is there's an aching void. I read the other day that Sydney Smith said 'Nature never built a man more than seven stories high without leaving the top loft empty'."

"On the contrary," spoke up John, "all the great men have been those who could look down on the rest of the world."

"Huh!" broke in Grant, "it will do you good to find out how much of your statement is really true. What do you think of Caesar, Napoleon, William of Orange, General Grant, Alexander Stephens, Alexander Hamilton--"

"That will do, my son. That will do," said John, patting Grant upon the head. "That is a sufficiency of information this morning. Pray desist.

In other words, shut up. If we don't stop you pretty soon you'll start in on the matter of ca.n.a.ls again. All the way up from New York," he added, turning to Miss Susie as he spoke, "he has been giving us undigested and undesirable information about the ca.n.a.ls. He even said that the Amsterdam Ca.n.a.l connected the Zuider Zee with the North Sea."

"So it does," said Grant quickly. "If you'll tell me how long that ca.n.a.l is I'll buy the dinner, when we stop at Cape Vincent."

"One hundred and sixty-five miles," declared John promptly. As he spoke, however, he glanced at his cuff on which the fact was plainly written.

"That doesn't count," declared Grant. "No ponying in this game. Look up into the sky, John, which isn't very far from you, and if you'll tell me how long the Panama Ca.n.a.l is I'll call it square and buy the dinner."

"The--Panama--Ca.n.a.l--is--is--quite long."

"So I have heard," laughed Grant. "I guess you buy the dinner."

"How long is it?" inquired John. "I knew, but I have forgotten."

"It's fifty and one-half miles long. Here comes Sam Hodge," Grant added as the boatman came alongside the dock. "Are you going with us?" he inquired as he quickly approached the dock.

"Where's that?" inquired Sam.

"Down the St. Lawrence River."

"How far?"

"Oh, down among the Thousand Islands, that's all."

"First I have heard of it," said Sam.

"I think it will be a good thing if you can go with the boys, Sam,"

spoke up Mr. Stevens. "They had a mishap yesterday and didn't quite know what to do."

"Sure, I'll go," said Sam.

Fred made no protests and the terms with the mechanic were speedily arranged.

A half-hour later the Black Growler set forth on her voyage.

The Caledonia was to follow some time that day and plans already had been made by which the boys were to spend some time on Hecla Island, on which was located the summer home of the Stevens.

Fortunately for Fred, at least, the lake continued to be calm. In the eagerness of the boy to prove to his friends that he merely had a "headache" the preceding day and had not been seasick, he was unusually busy.

Sam called the attention of the Go Ahead boys to the post at Sacket's Harbor. On a bluff above the lake the barracks and other buildings of the place were plainly visible. Even the soldiers stationed there could be plainly seen as they moved about the quarters.

"That's a great place to have an army post," said George. "I can't think of any place better unless it's in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Why did the government establish a post here?"

"Because there was a fort here, 'way back in the War of 1812," answered Grant promptly. "Sacket's Harbor was the headquarters of the army of the North and so the place has been kept up ever since."

"Do any of you want to stop?" inquired Fred, glancing at his companions as he spoke.

"Not I," replied John quickly. "When we have a good sea like this and Fred can be safe from the misery he suffered yesterday I'm not for taking any chances of the wind coming up later."

"That's mighty kind of you," growled Fred. "I never knew you to be so thoughtful of any one,--except yourself."

"Don't say that," said John. "You don't mean it. What you mean is that this is the first time you ever have appreciated how good I am."

"Huh," began Fred in response. His reply, however, was interrupted by Sam Hodge as he said, "This is a mighty good boat. She must have cost a pile of money."

"She did," said George quickly. "Fred had to save up his spending money for several days before he bought her. You don't talk like a native around here, Sam. Where did you come from?"

"I come from New York," answered Sam.

"What were you doing there?"

"Oh, I worked in a factory where we made legs and feet and arms for dummies and models."

"Fine job," laughed George. "Did you like it?"

"I liked the job all right," replied Sam, "but I didn't like our foreman. I quit on account of him."

"What was wrong with him?"

"Everything," said Sam quietly.

"So that was why you left and came up here to work on motor-boats was it?"

"Yes," answered Sam. "That foreman was the hardest man to get along with I ever saw. I put up with it for months, but finally there came a day when I decided I wouldn't stand any more of it."

"What happened?"

"Why, I had a sore hand and I asked him to cut one of my feet off and he cut it off for me and then he got mad at something I said and threw one of his legs at me. Then not satisfied with that he took one of the girl's feet and threw that at me, too. Of course I got mad. I picked up one of my legs in my hand and I tried to defend myself and then he hit me in the eye with one of his hands and knocked me over among a lot of legs and arms. He almost broke my foot and--"

"Did you say he cut one of your feet off?" asked Grant, soberly looking down at the pedal extremities of the mechanic, as he did so.

"That's just what he did," answered Sam.