ve been three
feet above the water-line, which even Jack thinks they must have
been--"

"Certainly. That height at least to do any good," said Hardy.

"Not that I think Jack's opinion worth much on the point," went
on his father.

"It's very ungrateful of you, then, to say so, father," said
Hardy, "after all the time I've wasted trying to make it all
clear to you."

"I don't say that Jack's is not a good opinion on most things,
Mr. Brown," said the Captain; "but he is all at sea about
triremes. He believes that the men of the uppermost bank rowed
somehow like lightermen on the Thames, walking up and down."

"I object to your statement of my faith, father," said Hardy.

"Now you know, Jack, you have said so, often."

"I have said they must have stood up to row, and so--"

"You would have had awful confusion, Jack. You must have order
between decks when you're going into action. Besides, the rowers
had cushions."

"That old heresy of yours again."

"Well, but Jack, they _had_ cushions. Didn't the rowers who were
marched across the Isthmus to man the ships which were to
surprise the Piraeus, carry their oars, thongs and cushions?"

"If they did, your conclusion doesn't follow, father, that they
sat on them to row."

"You hear, Mr. Brown," said the Captain; "he admits my point
about the cushions."

"Oh, father, I hope you used to fight the French more fairly,"
said Hardy.

"But didn't he? Didn't Jack admit my point?"

"Implicitly, sir, I think," said Tom, catching Hardy's eye, which
was dancing with fun.

"Of course he did. You hear that, Jack. Now my notion about
triremes--"

A knock at the door interrupted the Captain again, and Blake came
in and was introduced.

"Mr. Blake is almost our best scholar, father; you should appeal
to him about the cushions."

"I am very proud to make your acquaintance, sir," said the
Captain; "I have heard my son speak of you often."

"We were talking about triremes," said Tom; "Captain Hardy thinks
the oars must have been twenty feet long."

"Not easy to come forward well with that sort of oar," said
Blake; "they must have pulled a slow stroke."

"Our torpid would have bumped the best of them," said Hardy.

"I don't think they could have made more than six knots," said
the Captain; "but yet they used to sink one another, and a light
boat going only six knots couldn't break another in two
amid-ships. It's a puzzling subject, Mr. Blake."

"It is, sir," said