“Well, we wish it didn’t to us, don’t we, Harry?” Harry nodded sorrowfully. “It’s the end of our two weeks’ cruise on the _Slow Poke_,” said the doctor. “It’s the day we were due home.” “O--oh!” exclaimed the boys in chorus. “Can’t you stay a little longer, sir?” asked Chub, eagerly. But the doctor shook his head with decision before Harry could get out the words on her tongue. “No, I’m afraid not, Chub. I’ve an engagement at home the day after to-morrow and some things to look up first. I ought to have been back to-day, I suppose, but I think one day won’t matter. Do you think you can get us back to-morrow?” “Easy, sir, if you really must go,” answered Chub. But Dick shook his head dubiously. “Why not?” challenged Roy. “Well, you see, the engine hasn’t been working very well of late, and I shouldn’t be a bit surprised if it just stopped entirely to-morrow.” “Get out! You haven’t had it going for days!” said Roy. “How do you know?” “Feel it,” answered Dick, gravely. “I--I have a premonition.” “And how long do you think it will be before the engine gets to working again?” asked the doctor, with a twinkle in his eye. “Probably about a week, sir,” replied Dick, slyly. “A very intelligent engine,” said the doctor, with a smile. “You have a talk with it to-night, Dick, and explain to it that I am obliged to be at home to-morrow. Maybe it will decide to go on with us. You might say, that if I can’t get home on the _Slow Poke_ I’ll have to ferry across and take the train.” “In that case,” said Dick, regretfully, “it--it might postpone its breakdown until later. But I feel sure that it won’t last longer than it takes to reach Ferry Hill.” “Goody!” cried Harry. “Then you can stay and pay us a visit, can’t they, papa?” “They’re going to,” he answered. “They’re going to stay with us at least a week, aren’t you, boys?” The boys looked at each other questioningly. Finally: “I’d like to,” said Chub, “if the others--” “We’d all like to,” said Roy. “And we will if you’re sure you don’t mind, doctor.” “Mind! Of course I won’t mind! Why, Mrs. Emery wouldn’t forgive me if I let you go back without a real visit.” “If they don’t come,” said Harry, “I won’t speak to them again ever!” “Oh, we’re coming,” said Chub. “We’ll sleep aboard the boat, doctor, so that Mrs. Emery won’t have to bother about us much.” “Just as you like about that, boys, but you’ll take your meals at the cottage; that’s understood. How much longer is your cruise going to last, Chub?” Chub looked doubtfully at the others. “Well,” he replied, finally, “this is the seventh, and if we stay at the school a week that will bring it to about the middle, won’t it? Then if we went back to New York slowly we could make the trip last to about the twentieth. And, as far as I’m concerned, I think I’d be ready to quit by that time.” “That’s long enough,” said Dick.