That same night Captain Spark arrived at the Henderson home a little ahead of time.  He announced that his ship was ready to sail, and that he and Bob would depart the next morning for the seaport town.

“All ready, Bob?” he asked.

“Aye, aye, sir.”

“That’s the way to talk.  We may have to lay at the dock for a couple of days longer than I calculated on, but that will give you a chance to get acquainted with the ship before we strike blue water.”

“That will be good.”

With the return of the captain, Bob’s visions of a life on the ocean wave were redoubled.

Mrs. Henderson cried a little when it came time to part the next morning, and there was a suspicious dampness in the eyes of Mr. Henderson.  Bob also, in spite of the happy life he thought lay before him, was not altogether devoid of emotion.  He felt the separation more than he thought he would.

“Now be a good boy, Bob,” counseled his mother.

“I will.”  “It’s your first long trip, and it certainly is a big one,” spoke his father.  “Prove yourself a man, Bob.”

“I’ll try, sir.”

Bob felt new responsibilities now, and made any number of good resolutions.

“Ahoy, my hearties!” called the bluff, cheerful voice of Captain Spark.  “Heave up the anchor, brace around the yards, for we’ve got a good wind, a free course and a fair sky!”

And with a chorus of good-bys the two started off toward the depot.  The trip was begun.

CHAPTER XI

THE “EAGLE” SAILS

Bob had often been on railroad journeys, so there was nothing especially interesting about the first part of his trip.  But his mind was so taken up with what was to follow that even the familiar scenes as the train sped on out of the village seemed full of delight to him.

“Well, I s’pose you’ve been pretty steady since I’ve been gone, haven’t you, Bob?” asked the captain, following a rather long pause.

“Well, pretty good, I guess.  I only played one joke.”

“What was It?”

Bob related the circumstances of the step-ladder, the cook and the hired man.

“Hum,” remarked the commander of the Eagle reflectively.  “So they came down in a heap, eh, and the water splashed all over ’em?”

“Yes,” replied Bob, trying not to chuckle at the recollection.

“Hum,” remarked the captain again, and he seemed to be having some difficulty with his breathing.  Bob wondered if his friend was choking, he was so very red in the face, but he did not know that the mariner was trying hard not to laugh.  The thought of the sight of the pair tangled up in the step-ladder was too much for him, though he did not want to encourage Bob in his reckless ways by showing enough interest to laugh.

“By the way,” went on the captain suddenly, becoming rather solemn, “I s’pose you’ve learned the principal parts of the ship by now?”