“Solomon!” cried the doctor.  “What!  Solomon!  Is Solomon going?  Why, what can I do without Solomon?  Here!  Hallo!—­Solomon!  What in the world’s the meaning of all this?”

Thus summoned, Solomon came forth from the cabin, into which he had dived at the first appearance of the doctor.  His eyes were downcast, his face was demure, his attitude and manner were abject.

“Solomon,” said the doctor, “what’s this I hear?  Are you going to St. John?”

“Ony temp’ly, sah—­jist a leetle visit, sah,” said Solomon, very humbly, stealing looks at the boys from his downcast eyes.

“But what makes you go off this way without asking, or letting me know?”

“Did I, sah?” said Solomon, rolling his eyes up as though horrified at his own wickedness; “the sakes now!  Declar, I clean forgot it.”

“What are you going away for?”

“Why, sah, for de good oh my helf.  Docta vises sea vyge; sides, I got frens in St. John, an business dar, what muss be tended to.”

“Well, well,” said the doctor, “I suppose if you want to go you’ll find reasons enough; but at the same time you ought to have let me known before.”

“Darsn’t, sah,” said Solomon.

“Why not?”

“Fraid you’d not let me go,” said Solomon, with a broad grin, that instantly was suppressed by a demure cough.

“Nonsense,” said the doctor; and then turning away, he spoke a few words apart with Mr. Long.

“Well, boys,” said the doctor, at last, “this project of yours doesn’t seem to me to be altogether safe, and I don’t like to trust you in this way without anybody as a responsible guardian.”

Bart smiled.

“O, sir,” said he, “you need not be at all uneasy.  All of us are accustomed to take care of ourselves; and besides, if you wanted a responsible guardian for us, what better one could be found than Captain Corbet?”

The doctor and Mr. Long both shook their heads.  Evidently neither of them attached any great importance to Captain Corbet’s guardianship.

“Did you tell your father how you were going?” asked the doctor, after a few further words with Mr. Long.

“O, yes, sir; and he told me I might go.  What’s more, he promised to charter a schooner for me to cruise about with Phil and Pat after I arrived home.”

“And we got permission, too,” said Bruce.

“Indeed!” said the doctor.  “That changes the appearance of things.  I was afraid that it was a whim of your own.  And now, one thing more,—­how are you off for provisions?”

“Wal, sir,” said Captain Corbet, “I’ve made my calculations, an I think I’ve got enough.  What I might fail in, the boys and Solomon have made up.”

“How is it, Solomon?” asked the doctor.

Solomon grinned.

“You sleep in the hold, I see,” continued the doctor.

“Yes, sir,” said Bruce.  “It’s whitewashed, and quite sweet now.  We’ll only be on board two or three days at the farthest, and so it really doesn’t much matter how we go.”