They fix it straight, however, at last, and start
off at a run, pulling the boat along at quite a dangerous pace. At the
end of a hundred yards they are naturally breathless, and suddenly stop,
and all sit down on the grass and laugh, and your boat drifts out to mid-
stream and turns round, before you know what has happened, or can get
hold of a scull. Then they stand up, and are surprised.
"Oh, look!" they say; "he's gone right out into the middle."
They pull on pretty steadily for a bit, after this, and then it all at
once occurs to one of them that she will pin up her frock, and they ease
up for the purpose, and the boat runs aground.
You jump up, and push it off, and you shout to them not to stop.
"Yes. What's the matter?" they shout back.
"Don't stop," you roar.
"Don't what?"
"Don't stop - go on - go on!"
"Go back, Emily, and see what it is they want," says one; and Emily comes
back, and asks what it is.
"What do you want?" she says; "anything happened?"
" No," you reply, "it's all right; only go on, you know - don't stop."
"Why not?"
"Why, we can't steer, if you keep stopping. You must keep some way on
the boat."
"Keep some what?"
"Some way - you must keep the boat moving."
"Oh, all right, I'll tell `em. Are we doing it all right?"
"Oh, yes, very nicely, indeed, only don't stop.
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