for ever getting himself into disgrace by going down to the river to
catch sticklebacks against express injunctions to the contrary, when
left alone for any length of time without an observant and controlling
eye on his movements. He was also in the habit of joining the village
boys at their aquatic pranks in the cattle-pond that occupied a
prominent place in the meadows below Endleigh--just where the spur of
one of the downs sloped before preparing for another rise, forming a
hollow between the hills.

Here Master Teddy had loved to go on the sly, taking off his shoes and
stockings and paddling about as the shoe and stockingless village
urchins did; and this summer, not satisfied with simple paddling as of
yore, he bethought himself of a great enterprise.

The pond was of considerable extent, and when it was swollen with rain,
as happened at this period, the month of June being more plentiful than
usual of moisture, its surface covered several acres, the water being
very deep between its edge and the middle, where it shallowed again, the
ground rising there and forming a sort of island that had actually an
alder-tree growing on it.

Now, Teddy's ambition was to explore this island, a thing none of the
village boys had dreamed of, all being unable to swim; so, as the
wished-for oasis could not be reached in that fashion, the next best
thing to do was to build a boat like Robinson Crusoe and so get at it in
that way.

As a preliminary, Teddy sounded the ex-sailor as to the best way of
building a boat, without raising Jupp's suspicions--for, the worthy
porter, awed by the vicar's reprimand anent the _feu de joie_ affair and
Mary's continual exhortations, had of late exhibited a marked
disinclination to assist him in doing anything which might lead him into
mischief--artfully asking him what he would do if he could find no tree
near at hand large enough that he could hollow out for the purpose; but,
Jupp could give him no information beyond the fact that he must have a
good sound piece of timber for the keel, and other pieces curved in a
particular fashion for the strakes, and the outside planking would
depend a good deal whether he wanted the boat clinker-built or smooth-
sided.

"But how then," asked Teddy--he could speak more plainly now than as a
five-year old--"do people get off from ships when they have no boat?"

"Why, they builds a raft, sir," answered Jupp.

"A raft--what is that?"

"Why, sir, it means