ually letting himself be hauled out of the boat by his
refractory pole.

In due time D'Arcy and Lickford unselfishly gave up the poles to Cottle
and Ashby; and they, after a reasonable season of struggle and peril,
nobly ceded them to Ramshaw and Cash, Fisher minor waiving his claim,
and electing to sit "odd man out" and steer.

As at the end of an hour and a half's manful shoving the net progress
made was a yard back into the stream of the river, the talents of the
helmsman were not put to a very severe test.

"I say, it's rather slow," said Wally; "let's have some of Rollitt's
particular."

So while Percy with a small pair of scissors--none of the party,
marvellous to relate, had brought a knife--was carving the remnant of
ham, and Ashby was counting out nine brandy-balls from the bag, each
member of the party produced one of his Abernethys, and fell-to with all
the appetite that waits on hard and honest toil.

"Not much of a pace yet," remarked D'Arcy. "Why, we're going better now
we've stopped rowing than we were before."

"That's because the wind's changed," said Wally. "If we'd only got a
sail we could make her go."

"Why not stick up the two poles, and fasten our coats or something
between for a sail!" suggested Percy.

"Good idea! the poles are long enough for all the nine. One of 'em can
go through right sleeves, and the other through left. It'll make a
ripping sail."

So, despite the season of the year, the nine voyagers divested
themselves of their coats, which were industriously threaded by the
sleeves on either pole. The top coat was spiked by the hooks, and those
below were ingeniously buttoned one to the other to keep them up.

Every one agreed it made a ripping sail. The difficulty was to hoist
it. There were no holes in which to fix the parallel masts. They would
have to be held in position, as the breeze was stiffening, and it
required all hands aloft.

At length, by superhuman exertions, the complex fabric was slowly
hoisted to the perpendicular, looking very like a ladder, up which nine
scarecrows were clambering. However, no matter what it looked like now,
as Wally predicted, they'd spank along.

"We're going already," gasped he, panting with the exertion of holding
up his mast. "Look out now! here's a nice breeze coming."

He was right. Next moment the vast foresail fell with a run by the
board, and the nine athletes below were nearly shot into the air by the
force of th