Meanwhile we saved up our pocket-money and put it in a canvas bag, as being sailor-like.  Most of the money was Fred’s, but he was very generous about this, and said I was to take care of it as I was more managing than he.  And we practised tree-climbing to be ready for the masts, and ate earth-nuts to learn to live upon roots in case we were thrown upon a desert island.  Of course we did not give up our proper meals, as we were not obliged to yet, and I sometimes felt rather doubtful about how we should feel living upon nothing but roots for breakfast, dinner, and tea.  However, I had observed that whenever the captain was wrecked a barrel of biscuits went ashore soon afterwards, and I hoped it might always be so in wrecks, for biscuits go a long way, especially sailors’ biscuits, which are large.

I made a kind of handbook for adventure-seekers, too, in an old exercise book, showing what might be expected and should be prepared for in a career like the captain’s.  I divided it under certain heads:  Hardships, Dangers, Emergencies, Wonders, &c.  These were subdivided again thus:  Hardships—­I, Hunger; 2, Thirst; 3, Cold; 4, Heat; 5, No Clothes; and so forth.  I got all my information from Fred, and I read my lists over and over again to get used to the ideas, and to feel brave.  And on the last page I printed in red ink the word “Glory.”

And so the half went by and came to an end; and when the old Doctor gave me my three prizes, and spoke of what he hoped I would do next half, my blushes were not solely from modest pride.

The first step of our runaway travels had been decided upon long ago.  We were to go by barge to London.  “And from London you can go anywhere,” Fred said.

The day after the holidays began I saw a canal-boat lading at the wharf, and finding she was bound for London I told Fred of it.  But he said we had better wait for a barge, and that there would be one on Thursday.  “Or if you don’t think you can be ready by then, we can wait for the next,” he added.  He seemed quite willing to wait, but (remembering that the captain’s preparations for his longest voyage had only taken him eighteen and a half minutes by the chronometer, which was afterwards damaged in the diving-bell accident, and which I had seen with my own eyes, in confirmation of the story) I said I should be ready any time at half-an-hour’s notice, and Thursday was fixed as the day of our departure.

To facilitate matters it was decided that Fred should invite me to spend Wednesday with him, and to stay all night, for the barge was to start at half-past six o’clock on Thursday morning.

I was very busy on Wednesday.  I wrote a letter to my mother in which I hoped I made it quite clear that ambition and not discontent was leading me to run away.  I also made a will, dividing my things fairly between Rupert, Henrietta, and Baby Cecil, in case I should be drowned at sea.  My knife, my prayer-book, the ball of string belonging to my kite, and my little tool-box I took away with me.  I also took the match-box from the writing-table, but I told Mother of it in the letter.  The captain used to light his fires by rubbing sticks together, but I had tried it, and thought matches would be much better, at any rate to begin with.