"In this country boys are too valuable to be lost, even if they do turn up again like bad pennies.
Master Frank, you must hurry and get well, for in his work here your father will need just such a valuable assistant as I am sure you will make." "Now, wife, how about something to eat?
I am almost hungry enough to eat an alligator, and I expect our friend March would be willing to help me." Aunt Chloe had been busy ever since the travellers arrived, and supper was as ready for them as they were for it.

After supper, when they were once more gathered in the sitting-room, Mr.Elmer said, "I got a charter granted me while I was in Tallahassee--can any of you guess for what ?" None of them could guess, unless, as Mark suggested, it was for incorporating "Go Bang," and making a city of it in opposition to Wakulla.
"It is to establish and maintain a ferry between those portions of the town of Wakulla lying on opposite sides of the St.Mark's River," said Mr.Elmer.
"A FERRY ?" said Mrs.Elmer.
"A FERRY ?" said Ruth.
"A ferry ?" said Mark; "what sort of a ferry steam-power, horse-power, or boy-power ?" "I expect it will be mostly boy-power," said Mr.Elmer, laughing.

"You see I kept thinking of what Mr.Bevil told us last Sunday, that what Wakulla needed most was a bridge and a mill.

I knew we couldn't build a bridge, at least not at present; but the idea of a ferry seemed practicable.

We have got enough lumber to build a large flat-boat, there are enough of us to attend to a ferry, and so I thought I'd get a charter, anyhow." Mark could hardly wait for his father to finish before he broke in with, "Speaking of mills, father, your ferry will be the very thing to bring people over to our mill." "Our mill!" repeated his father.