owever, the
lock-keeper managed to catch the stern of his skiff with the
boat-hook, and drag him back into the proper channel, and then
opened the lock-gates for him. Tom congratulated himself as he
entered the lock that there were no other boats going through
with him; but his evil star was in the ascendant, and all things,
animate and inanimate, seemed to be leagued together to humiliate
him. As the water began to fall rapidly, he lost his hold of the
chain and the tub instantly drifted across the lock, and was in
imminent danger of sticking and breaking her back, when the
lock-keeper again came to the rescue with his boat-hook and,
guessing the state of the case, did not quit him until he had
safely shoved him and his boat well out into the pool below, with
an exhortation to mind and go outside of the barge which was
coming up.

Tom started on the latter half of his outward voyage with the
sort of look which Cato must have worn when he elected the losing
side, and all the gods went over to the winning one. But his
previous struggles had not been thrown away, and he managed to
keep the right side of the barge, turn the corner without going
around, and zigzag down Kennington reach, slowly indeed, but with
much labor, but at any rate safely. Rejoicing in his feat, he
stopped at the island, and recreated himself with a glass of
beer, looking now hopefully towards Sandford, which lay within
easy distance, now upwards again along the reach which he had
just overcome, and solacing himself with the remembrance of a
dictum, which he had heard from a great authority, that it was
always easier to steer up stream than down, from which he argued
that the worst part of his trial trip was now over.

Presently he saw a skiff turn the corner at the top of the
Kennington reach, and, resolving in his mind to get to Sandford
before the new comer, paid for his beer, and betook himself again
to his tub. He got pretty well off, and, the island shutting out
his unconscious rival from his view, worked away at first under
the pleasing delusion that he was holding his own. But he was
soon undeceived, for in monstrously short time the pursuing skiff
showed around the corner and bore down on him. He never relaxed
his efforts, but could not help watching the enemy as he came up
with him hand over hand, and envying the perfect ease with which
he seemed to be pulling his long steady stroke and the precision
with which he steered, scarcely ever