and that took up time; but I've allowed us three days and nights
as being plenty to get down to the zea; and that means tying up to the
bank when the river's again' uz--I mean, when we come to where the tide
runs, for we should knock ourzelves up trying to pull this heavy,
lumbering old boat against the stream."

Nic nodded, as he kept on looking anxiously astern; but he said nothing,
and they rowed steadily on.

"Zay, Master Nic," said Pete suddenly.

"Yes."

"Getting hot, aren't it?"

"Terribly."

"Well, I can't zay that, zir, because the zun aren't shining now on a
zlave's back; it's on a free man's, and that makes all the differ. But
what are you thinking about?"

"The possibility of seeing another boat coming round the bend of the
river."

"It's unpossible, zir. The gaffer hadn't got no other boat to come in.
I believe we was the only other planters up the river, and that there'll
be no boat till we come to the places where we stayed of a night, and
it's a zight nearer the zea. I keep on thinking, though, a deal."

"What about--our escaping?"

"Nay. It's very queer, Master Nic, and I s'pose it's because I'm zo
empty."

"Thinking of food, Pete?" said Nic sadly.

"Yes, Master Nic. More I tries not to, more I keeps on 'bout veal-pie,
cold zalmon, and zyder."

"Ah yes, we must contrive to get some provisions after a bit."

They rowed on in silence for some time, with the sun gathering power and
beating down upon their heads, and flashing back from the surface of the
river, till at last Pete said suddenly:

"We must run the boat ashore close to those trees, Master Nic, or we
shall be going queer in the head for want of cover."

"Yes; I feel giddy now, Pete. Do you think we could tie a few leaves
together for hats?"

"You'll zee, my lad," said the man. "I could do it best with rushes,
but I'll work zomething to keep off the zun."

The boat was run in under the shade of a tree whose boughs hung down and
dipped in the running stream; and as Pete laid in his oar he glanced
down over the side and saw fish gliding away, deep down in the
transparent water.

"Zee um, zir?" said Pete.

"Yes; there are some good-sized fish, Pete."

"And either of 'em would make uz a dinner if we'd got a line."

"And bait, Pete."

"Oh, I'll manage a bait, Master Nic. Dessay they'd take a fly, a
beetle, or a berry, or a worm, but I aren't got neither hook nor line.
I'm going to have one, though, zoon, for the