"I'm a bit too auld to take part in a fight, even in a righteous cause, but not for taking an interest in the means provided for ither folk." "And I want to see it, too, though I hardly expect to ever make one of the crew of such a vessel," said Walter.
"And we girls will want to visit her also," laughed Rosie, "though I am very sure no one of us will ever form part of such a crew." "Well, as my father has and my brother expects to, I shall be very much interested," said Grace.
"Especially as we shall have a retired officer to explain everything to us," added Lulu with a smiling look up into her father's face.
He returned the smile, then pointing southward, "Yonder it is," he said, "still too distant for a critical survey, but a better view will be afforded us presently, as we pass it." As he spoke all eyes turned in that direction.
"Oh, what a big vessel she is!" exclaimed Grace, as they drew near enough to obtain a good idea of her size.
"Yes," returned the captain, "she is a full sized model, above water line, of our coast line battleships _Oregon_, _Massachusetts_, _Indiana_." "Not a real ship, papa ?" "No; only a model: she is built of brick, on the bottom of the lake, and merely simulates a man-of-war." "Only a model!" repeated Walter.

"And how about her guns, sir?
are they real ?" "Some of them are wood; but there are enough genuine machines on board to destroy almost anything of ordinary resisting power within three miles range.

But I expect to go more into particulars when we pay our contemplated visit." "I suppose she must have cost a good deal ?" "One hundred thousand dollars." "How much this Fair is costing!" remarked Evelyn.

"Do you think it will pay, captain ?" "I hope so," he returned cheerfully.

"What is worth doing at all is worth doing well." But they were drawing near their port, and there was much on both land and water to attract their attention.