CHAPTER VIII

GETTING READY

Captain Spark’s ship, the Eagle, was a large craft, and in her he had made many voyages.  At present the vessel was docked at a seaport town not many miles from Moreville.

The day it was announced to Bob that he was to make a sea voyage, the captain left the village to visit the Eagle at the dock and see how the loading of the cargo was progressing.

“I want to sail as soon as possible,” he said, “and though I left a good mate in charge, still I like to look after certain matters myself.  I’ll be back in a few days and let you know, Bob, the exact date for sailing.  In the meanwhile you can be getting ready.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” answered the boy, trying, as he had read of sailors doing, to pull a lock of his reddish hair, but finding it too short.  He had decided to adopt all the sea practices he had ever read about.

“Get your bag ready,” went on the captain, “have your mother put some needles and thread in, for you’ll have to mend your own clothes at sea, and I’ll look it over when I get back.”

“Aye, aye, sir.”

The captain laughed at Bob’s sudden enthusiasm for the sea and ship terms, but he was not displeased.

As for Bob, he thought the time would never pass until he would find himself aboard the Eagle.  That very day he began to sort over his clothes, trying to decide which he should take, and he had such a miscellaneous collection of garments that, when his mother saw them, she laughed.

“Bob!” she exclaimed.  “It would take three trunks to hold them, and I don’t believe sailors are ever allowed more than one.  At least, in all the pictures I ever saw of sailors going on board a ship they only had a small box or bag on their shoulder, and, of course, that must have contained all their clothes.”

“I guess you’re right, mother.  I’ll have to sort out some of these.”

“Never mind.  I’ll do that.  But what in the world are you doing with those rubber boots?”

“I was going to take them along.”

“Sailors seldom wear rubber boots.  They go barefoot when it’s wet on deck.”  For Mrs. Henderson knew something about seafaring men, from her long acquaintance with Captain Spark.

“Another mistake,” admitted Bob, good-naturedly.  “Guess I’ve got lots to learn about the ocean and ships.”

“Yes indeed, Bob.  And I hope you will profit by it.  It is no place to play pranks, either, on board a ship.”

“But I’ve read that when the ship crosses the equator the sailors cut up all kinds of high jinks.”

“Yes, I suppose they do, but that is not very often.  I have no doubt Captain Spark will permit fun on that occasion.”

“If we go down around Cape Horn and up the west coast of North and South America we’ll cross the equator twice,” went on Bob.  “We can have fun both times.”