she had room to manoeuvre in the river which then
formed the harbor of Oswego. But the total want of air prevented any
such attempt, and it was soon evident that the light vessel was to be
taken through the passage under her sweeps. Not a sail was loosened;
but as soon as the kedge was tripped, the heavy fall of the sweeps was
heard, when the cutter, with her head up stream, began to sheer towards
the centre of the current; on reaching which, the efforts of the men
ceased, and she drifted towards the outlet. In the narrow pass itself
her movement was rapid, and in less than five minutes the _Scud_ was
floating outside of the two low gravelly points which intercepted the
waves of the lake. No anchor was let go, but the vessel continued to set
off from the land, until her dark hull was seen resting on the glossy
surface of the lake, full a quarter of a mile beyond the low bluff which
formed the eastern extremity of what might be called the outer harbor
or roadstead. Here the influence of the river current ceased, and she
became, virtually, stationary.

"She seems very beautiful to me, uncle," said Mabel, whose gaze had not
been averted from the cutter for a single moment while it had thus been
changing its position; "I daresay you can find faults in her appearance,
and in the way she is managed; but to my ignorance both are perfect."

"Ay, ay; she drops down with a current well enough, girl, and so would a
chip. But when you come to niceties, all old tar like myself has no need
of spectacles to find fault."

"Well, Master Cap," put in the guide, who seldom heard anything to
Jasper's prejudice without manifesting a disposition to interfere, "I've
heard old and experienced saltwater mariners confess that the _Scud_ is
as pretty a craft as floats. I know nothing of such matters myself; but
one may have his own notions about a ship, even though they be wrong
notions; and it would take more than one witness to persuade me Jasper
does not keep his boat in good order."

"I do not say that the cutter is downright lubberly, Master Pathfinder;
but she has faults, and great faults."

"And what are they, uncle? If he knew them, Jasper would be glad to mend
them."

"What are they? Why, fifty; ay, for that matter a hundred. Very material
and manifest faults."

"Do name them, sir, and Pathfinder will mention them to his friend."

"Name them! it is no easy matter to call off the stars, for the simple
reason that they are so num