the boat was due at four, and the tents were to be down and ready at the landing. so as soon as dinner was over every one went to work.

jonas made a great rattling of pots, pans, and plates, as he packed them away in barrels and boxes.

"no more use for them until next summer, and there's no knowin' who of us will be alive to use 'em then!" exclaimed jonas, with a wise shake of the head.

"that's so," said friday solemnly.

"'tain't noways likely that the same crowd will get together again. somebody'll be missing. they are a fine set o' fellows, take 'em all around. some o' them are as good as you'd find anywhere.--here, freit, lend a hand on this 'ere box. no, roll that barrel down to the beach; i'll see to this."

while they were thus engaged, the boys were packing their valises, and trying to decide what to take and what to leave.

"i've got rocks enough to stock a cabinet, and only one valise, that was full when i came," said joe, kneeling before said valise, with his arms full of "specimens."

"to ballast a ship, you'd better say," added ben, laughing. "what do you want that rubbish for?" and he pulled over the precious collection in a contemptuous way.

"hands off, vandal! avaunt! you'll smash that infant star-fish!" cried joe. "i've tramped miles and risked my neck getting these together, and now you call them rubbish! avaunt, i say!"

"tents down!" called mr. andrews, passing along, and seeing some of the tents still standing.

"yes, sir," answered joe, placing the "rubbish," as ben called it, in an old jacket, and tying the bundle with fish-line. "there, i'm all right; i'll take this in my hands. there'll be room enough in my trunk when we get back to school."

ben laughed, and said, "you'll have your labour for your pains. you'll throw the whole lot over the back-yard fence, or your mother or sisters will for you, before many weeks."

"nay, nay! you haven't half looked at the things; or, worse still, are no judge, boy. mr. bernard said they were good specimens."

"all right--carry them home; but if your folks are like mine the things will disappear. i got a lot of snakes once, the prettiest fellows you ever saw, and had them in a wire box; but no one would go near my room to clear it up, and because i wouldn't throw them away, my sisters hired a fellow to drop the box in the pond. wasn't i angry?"

"that's different; i don't much blame them," said joe. "nobody will bother my collection. there, my luggage is ready."

"so is mine," said ralph, who had been sitting on his valise outside, listening to the conversation. "where's dave?"

"oh, he went to the shore long ago. there he stands with his spy-glass, watching for the steamboat, as if it would be the most welcome sight in the world; and he doesn't want to leave any more than we do.--now, down with the tent! pull up those stakes, boys. mine are up. down she goes! let's write our names on the canvas; perhaps we shall get the same tent next year."

"oh, doesn't the place look forsaken?" groaned joe, as he saw the tents, one after another, rolled up and carried by the boys to the beach, where the baggage was piled.

"i see the smoke!" cried dave.

a chorus of groans from the crowd answered this announcement.

"hush, raven! don't croak. don't bring your bad news here. get down from your watch-tower, and let's have a game of leap-frog, and forget the steamboat," said ned.

there were boys enough answering this summons to make the leaping process long and tiresome; and by the time a dozen boys had gone the length of the row, they were glad to unbend their backs and throw themselves on the grass to rest.

nearer and nearer came the boat, and no spy-glass was needed to tell the party that it was coming for them. straight toward the island it steamed, and it was only a question of minutes when the motion would cease and the anchor drop.

another chorus of groans from the waiting crowd was the only greeting extended even when the band began to play. unmindful of the cool reception, the boat swung around as near to the rocks as possible, and the great wheels ceased to revolve.

"all ready there!" shouted the captain, hat in hand.

"all ready," was the answer.

the small boats belonging to the school were already laden with baggage, and the boys began to row across with the load. the larger boats belonging to the steamer were soon plying to and fro, carrying the camp outfit. this occupied a long time, and then the boys reluctantly followed.

john and jerry with their father were there to see them off and hear the music. the last boatful of boys had come up the side of the steamer, and the last boat had been hoisted on board.

"are we all here?" asked mr. bernard, looking anxiously around over the crowd under his care.

"he ought to count us," suggested dave. "perhaps some of the fellows are hid under the bushes."

jonas and freitag were the last on board, and they gave the assurance that "nothin' nor nobody wasn't left behind."

the whistle sounded; the escaping steam was turned down to work again; the water foamed, and the wheels were in motion.

here was another chance to cheer, and what schoolboy would allow such an opportunity to be wasted? so cheers were given and caps waved by the party on deck and the three people on the shore. the band played "home, sweet home," and the steamboat bore them toward the cape.

"alas, and alack! and is it over?" sighed joe, as he looked longingly back at the receding shores of the island. "and you had so little of the fun, ralph."

"i don't know," answered ralph. "it is a question whether you enjoyed more in the whole fortnight than ben and i did in these two days. just the pleasure of getting back among you all and being friends with mr. bernard would have been treat enough for me, after my experience."

"and for me too," interposed ben soberly--"to say nothing of the good times fishing, swimming, rowing, and tramping about through the woods and over the shore. if you enjoyed it any more than i did, i don't know how you managed to bear it, joe."

it was a sun-burned, rugged-looking set of boys that landed at the cape, and, with valises in hand, started across the fields to the academy, talking, as they sauntered along, of the good times they had enjoyed. they were to spend one night there, and get their worldly possessions in readiness to take, or to leave till another term.

"ben carver, are you the same fellow that stole out of this room with me a fortnight ago?" asked ralph, as they entered their room together and shut the door.

"am i, or am i not? sure enough. only a fortnight ago! think of it! why, i feel as if it were years ago. we little thought we would be back here now, and feeling as comfortable as we do, when we stole down the stairs that night, and went across the fields to hide from mr. bernard."

"yes, from him and every one else. i wanted never to see joe or any of the boys again--never!"

"may i come in?" said joe's voice at the door.

"come."

"we are to have the hall all to ourselves this evening, and talk over our camp life--all speaking at once, if we want to."

"and we shall want to," said ben.

"very likely," laughed joe. "we generally do. mr. bernard says if we can't think of anything to say he will come in and help us. we told him he would be welcome, but that he probably wouldn't be able to get a word in."

"not the least chance."

"come on; there's the bell! supper, and after that the jollification in the hall. then we'll pack and say good-bye to the old academy, and each other too, until next september."

"remember you are going home with me," said ralph as they ran down the stairs, and slackened their pace to enter the dining-room less like whirlwinds.

"remember? ah, yes; i remember that. isn't it odd to be sitting instead of standing at the table, and using napkins and glasses? i like the camp tables best, though, as it is."

after supper, the boys gathered in the hall, and talked over their life in camp. even the dark, foggy days, that seemed so uncomfortable at the time, were spoken of now with pleasure.

mr. bernard came later in the evening, and after joining in the merry-making a while, and listening to the stories of the boys, he said some pleasant good-bye words, thanking them that they had given so little trouble; and then leaving them all in the hands of the great master, and asking him to be their friend and helper in all the future, he shook hands with each one, with an added "god bless you" for ralph, and said good-bye.

we cannot follow these boys to their homes, pleasant as that would be, so we will join in the general farewell that sounded on every hand as the boys went back to their friends.