Not far from their house in the Rue Charly ran the River Vesle,
which flows through Rheims, and as the Merauts knew well a man
whose business it was to let boats to pleasure parties in summer,
the children were not surprised to see their Mother walk down the
street toward the little wharf where his boats were kept. He was
waiting to receive them, and, drawn up to the water's edge was a
red and white row-boat, with the name "The Ark" painted upon her
prow. Mother Meraut smiled when she saw the name. "If we only had
the animals to go in two by two, we should be just like Noah and
his family, shouldn't we?" she said, as she put the bundles in
the stern.
In a few moments they were all seated in the boat, with their few
belongings carefully balanced, and Jacqueline safely reposing in
Pierrette's lap. The boatman pushed them away from the pier. "Au
revoir," called Mother Meraut as the boat slid into the stream.
"We will come back again when the Germans are gone, and in some
way I shall have a chance to send your boat to you, I know.
Meanwhile we will take good care of it."
"There will be few pleasure-seekers on the Vesle this summer,"
answered the boat-man, "and the Ark will be safer with you than
rotting at the pier, let alone the chance of its being blown up
by a shell. I'm glad you've got her, and glad you are going away
from Rheims. It will be easy pulling, for you're going down-
stream, and about all you'll have to do is to keep her headed
right.
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