not time to be homesick. All that week was really spent in "getting
settled," and there did not seem to be more than a day or so of it.
Saturday came around again somewhere in the place commonly taken by
Wednesday, and surprised them all.

They had all been busy enough, but Dick Lee had never in all his life
found so little spare time on his hands.

"It's no use, Cap'n Dab," he remarked on Friday: "we can't eat up all de
corn I've shelled, not if we has johnnycake from now till nex' summer."

Dab was looking a little thoughtful at that moment.

"Ford," he said slowly, "has she missed a day yet?"

"A corn day? No."

"Or a meal?"

"No, I said I'd cut a notch on my slate first time she did, and it's all
smooth yet."

He held it up as he spoke; and Frank remarked,--

"Yes, smooth enough on that side; but you've nicked it all down on the
other, end to end. What's that for?"

"That? Oh! that's quite another thing. I'm keeping tally of Joe and Fuz.
Every time one of 'em asks a question about our boarding-house, or Mrs.
Myers, or Almira, or' little Dr. Brandegee, I nick it down. Got to quit