"And shall you sail right away to a foreign country!" said Dexter, from his nest up in the willow.

"Why, how can you sail away to another place without a mast and sail, stoopid!" cried Bob.

"If you call me stupid," said Dexter sharply, "I'll come and punch your head."

"Yah! Yer can't get at me."

"Can't I? I could swim across in a minute, and I would, if it wasn't for wetting my clothes."

"Yah!" cried Bob scoffingly. "Why, I could fight yer one hand."

"No, you couldn't."

"Yes, I could."

"Well, you'd see, if I came across."

"But yer can't get across," laughed Bob. "I know of a capital mast."

Dexter looked sulky.

"It's part of an old boat-hook my father found floating in the river. I shall smooth it down with my knife if I can't borrow a spokeshave."

"And what'll you do for a sail?" said Dexter, his interest in the expedition chasing away his anger.

"Oh, I shall get a table-cloth or a sheet. Sheets make beautiful sails.

You just hoists 'em up, and puts an oar over the stern to steer with, and then away you go, just where you like. Sailing along in a boat's lovely!"

"Ever been in a boat sailing?" asked Dexter.

"No; but I know it is. That sailor told me. He says when you've got all sail set, you just cruises along."

"Do you?"

"Yes. I know; and I mean to go some day; but it's no use to be in a jolly hurry, and you ought to have a mate."

"Ought you?"

"Yes, so as he could steer while a chap went to sleep; because sometimes you'd be a long way from the sh.o.r.e."

Dexter sat very thoughtful and still, dreaming of the wonders of far-off places, such as could be reached by Bob Dimsted and his companion, the impracticability of such a journey never once occurring to him. Bob had been about all his life free to go and come, while he, Dexter, seemed to have been always shut up, as it were, in a cage, which had narrowed his mind.

"Some chaps would be glad of such a chance," said Bob. "It'll be a fine time. My, what fishing I shall have!"

"Shall you be gone long!" said Dexter, after a time.

"Long? Why, of course I shall; years and years. I shan't come back till I've made a fortune, and am a rich man, with heaps of money to spend. Some chaps would be glad to go."

"Yes, of course," said Dexter dreamily.

"I want to get a mate who isn't afraid of anything. Dessay we should meet lions sometimes, and big snakes."

"What! in England!"

"England! Yah! Who's going to stop in England? I'm going to sail away to wonderful places all over the world."

"But would the boat be big enough to cross the great sea?"

"Who's going to cross the great sea?" cried Bob. "Of course I shouldn't. I should only go out about six miles from sh.o.r.e, and keep close in, so as to land every night to get grub, or anything else.

P'r'aps to go shooting. My father's got an old gun--a fine un. Think I don't know what I'm about? Shoots hares with it, and fezzans.

"There's another!" he exclaimed, as he hooked and landed an unfortunate little perch, which he threw into his basket with a look of disgust.

"I'm sick of ketching such miserable little things as these. I want to get hold of big sea-fish of all kinds, so as to fill the boat. Some chaps would be glad to go," he said again, as he threw his line in once more.

"Yes," said Dexter thoughtfully; "I should like to go."

"You!" said Bob, with a mocking laugh. "You! Why, you'd be afraid. I don't believe you dare go in a boat!"

"Oh yes, I dare," said Dexter stoutly.

"Not you. You're afraid of what the doctor would say. You daren't even come fishing with me up the river."

"They said I was not to go with you," said Dexter quietly; "so I couldn't."

"Then what's the use of your saying you'd like to go. You couldn't."

"But I should like to go," said Dexter excitedly.

"Not you. I want a mate as has got some pluck in him. You'd be afraid to be out all night on the water."

"No, I shouldn't. I should like it."

"Well, I don't know," said Bob dubiously. "I might take you, and I mightn't. You ain't quite the sort of a chap I should want; and, besides, you've got to stay where you are and learn lessons. Ho! ho!

ho! what a game, to be obliged to stop indoors every day and learn lessons! I wonder you ain't ashamed of it."

Dexter's cheeks flushed, and he looked angrily across the river with his fists clenched, but he said nothing.

"You wouldn't do. You ain't strong enough," said Bob at last.

"I'm as strong as you are."

"But you daren't come."

"I should like to come, but I don't think they'd let me."

"Why, of course they wouldn't, stoopid. You'd have to come away some night quietly, and get in the boat, and then we'd let her float down the river, and row right away till morning, and then we could set the sail, and go just wherever we liked, because we should be our own masters."

"Here's some one coming after you," said Bob, in a low voice; and he shrank away, leaving Dexter perched up in the crown of the tree, where he stopped without speaking, as he saw Helen come down the garden, and she walked close by him without raising her eyes, and pa.s.sed on.