“Ah huh, but I know what you’re a thinkin’ and ye needn’t worry. We’ll beat her across easy. He hasn’t got his boom mor’n half done and won’t get started ’fore ’bout three o’clock, an’ we ought ter be half way across by that time,” the captain assured them. “We’re all ready fer ye to start, Cap’n,” Tom Bean said, as they entered the office where the foreman was busy putting some papers away. “’Spose ye’ve had yer dinner,” he added, with a wink at the boys. “Wall neuw,” Cap’n Seth began scratching his head. “I kinder cal’lated to git a little snack ’fore we started. If this wind freshens up much more it’ll be a long trip an’ we’ll be hungry afore we get back.” “Oh, quit your teasing, Tom,” Jack laughed, as he saw the wistful look in the captain’s face. “Don’t you mind him, Cap’n Seth. Dinner’ll be ready in about five minutes now, and we’re not going to start till we get filled up.” Cap’n Seth, much relieved in his mind with the assurance that he would get his dinner, shook his fist in mock anger at the foreman. “I reckon ye think yer mighty smart scarin’ a feller outter a year’s growth with yer tomfoolery. Do ye ever read the Bible?” he asked suddenly, changing the conversation. “Do I iver rade the Bible is it?” Tom almost shouted, for it was his proud boast that he was a great Bible scholar. “Sure and it’s meself thot fergits more about the Bible ivery night than ye iver knowed.” “Is that so?” Cap’n Seth replied, a most serious look on his face. “Then mebby ye kin settle a pint fer me that’s bin givin’ me a lot o’ trouble.” “Mebby I kin,” Tom assured him, sticking out his huge chest. “If it’s in the Bible ye’ve come ter the right man and don’t ye fergit it. What is it?” “Wall,” Cap’n Seth began slowly, scratching his head. “It’s like this. I’ve wanted fer a long time ter know why Moses didn’t take iny giraffes inter the ark.” The big foreman slowly and thoughtfully scratched his head. He felt that his reputation as a Bible scholar was at stake and did not want to make a mistake. He thought for a moment without speaking, then, a look of relief coming to his face, he asked: “And how do yer know thot he didn’t?” “Tom, I’m surprised at yer. I thought ye knew sumpin about the Scriptures and yer don’t even know that Moses didn’t take any giraffes inter the ark. Wall, wall, kin ye beat it?” Tom, feeling more than ever uncertain of his ground, hastily endeavored to regain his lost prestige by saying: “Ter be sure I knowed it, but I jest wanted ter be sure as how ye knowed it.” “That’s a leetle too thin, Tom, but we’ll let it go if ye kin give me the rason,” Cap’n Seth declared, with a sly wink at the boys. “Sure and that’s aisy,” he declared, after a moment’s deep thought. “It was because the blamed critters were too tall fer the ark, of course.” “Too tall yer eye,” the captain snorted. “Ye got ter do better’n that or go ter the foot o’ the class.”